The Scars Remain
by DragonFlame91
Summary: "Death was not the end for her, just another adventure". Riley Gilbert is the cousin of Elena and Jeremy who left Mystic Falls years ago and always knew about the supernatural world. After a near-death encounter with a vampire, she returns and finds out that her family has kept many secrets from her, including the reason why vampires are dangerously attracted to her blood.
1. Deadly Encounter

When their children were young, parents warned them about spooky monsters. The parents laughed to themselves, using these imaginary monsters to get their children to behave and do their bidding. What these supposedly wise adults did not know was that the monsters were indeed real. As the children grew up, they discovered that the monsters were not the Boogeyman in the closet, ready to prey on their innermost fears, or some tentacled beast under the bed that eats them if they do not finish their vegetables. They ceased checking such places once they realized that true monsters looked just like them. These beings blended seamlessly into society, doing everyday things like driving cars, eating burgers, and talking on cellphones. Despite what movies, books, and television portrayed, the vampires never sparkled in the sunlight or brooded about their angst-ridden lives, the werewolves were not the size of overgrown bears, and the witches were not green-skinned with hideous warts on their noses. In reality, they did not fall helplessly in love with a human girl at first sight, leading to an epic tale where the monster constantly risked his life for her and promised her eternal love.

Most adults remained children on the inside, oblivious to the dangers around them. They were unable to recognize the monster until it was right in front of them and its true form was the last thing they ever saw before their imminent death. Only a few souls proved capable of perceiving the truth under the smoke and mirrors when they were still children. They were the ones who never believed in the imitation monsters from urban myths, the ones who could look at someone and see that beneath their innocent façade, there was a deadly monster waiting to be unleashed. Riley Gilbert happened to be one of those people.

As a young girl, Riley grew up in the town of Mystic Falls. She was a normal girl who went to school, had her group of close friends, and played a few sports. While her friends swung on the monkey bars and tried to dare each other to eat the fat worm found under the new swirly slide, Riley sat under the shade of a large tree, reading about the monsters lurking in the shadows. Mystic Falls was more than just a picturesque town in southwestern Virginia. When she was only five years old, she spotted a man in the park, getting bad feelings around him. She panicked at the sight of him growing fangs and feeding on a woman and rushed to find her parents. It was then that her parents revealed the town's secrets to her. She learned about the vampires and werewolves that had plagued this town in the past and how they concealed themselves to appear normal. One of her ancestors, Johnathan Gilbert, was a great inventor who created the Gilbert device, which could knock out vampires and werewolves, and a pocket watch that acted as a compass to detect vampires.

Her parents, both members of the Founder's Council that protected the town, made her swear not to tell these secrets to anyone, not even her cousins Elena and Jeremy. Keeping such a secret made Riley very protective of her cousins and her friends. What they saw as silly ghost stories told during sleepovers, she knew it all to be fact. On many nights, when she was supposed to be asleep, she heard arguments between her father and her uncle Grayson over the fact that Riley was told the truth at such a young age. Her father allowed her to read the old Gilbert journals and trained her to defend herself if she ever encountered a vampire. He was not as worried about werewolves since they had gone mostly extinct over the centuries.

A few days after her ninth birthday, she walked home from school to find a moving van outside their house and her family's belongings packed into cardboard boxes. Her mother claimed that they were moving to New Mexico for her archaeology work. At first, Riley saw nothing wrong with the scenery change. She believed that after a short time, they would return to Mystic Falls. Her suspicions were raised when every few months, they changed their location. Over the past eight years, she had lived in over twenty countries. Their move from place to place was so constant that she did not bother making many friends, knowing that soon enough, she would be back on a plane to a new destination. Her parents used her mother's work as an excuse but as Riley got older, she saw through their lies. She knew that they were hiding some kind of secret from her. They never stayed in one place for too long to avoid something or someone.

Riley was sitting in a café in Avignon, a town in southwestern France. She had recently moved here about a month ago after a long flight from Brazil. Her mother and her archaeological team were studying nearby caves. The caves were considered one of the most significant prehistoric art sites. Her father, who worked as a doctor, usually tagged along on the expeditions as a medic for the team. Riley got her adventurous spirit from her parents, who loved to travel and see the world. They were the type of people willing to be the first inside of a dark, mysterious cave or to go diving in the deepest waters. While Riley loved all of those experiences, she could not deny that she missed Mystic Falls. She regularly kept in contact with her friends but it was not the same as seeing them in person. Their messages would talk about school and having terrible teachers like Mr. Tanner, a pompous jerk who liked to embarrass his students. She could always count on Caroline to give her the latest gossip on new couples and the hottest guys at Mystic Falls High.

As she waited for her parents to return from their trip, she drew some pictures in her notebook. She was finishing her sketch of a forest when she heard a beeping sound from her laptop. A small box popped up, requesting her for a video chat. She clicked the box and smiled, seeing her younger cousin Jeremy. It had been eight months since she had gotten any messages from him. Their last conversation happened a few days after the death of his parents on the Wickery Bridge. Riley attempted to contact him but he ignored all of her calls and emails. Elena was the one keeping her up to date on Jeremy, telling her about his depression and a coping mechanism that involved drugs and alcohol. He had been spending a lot of time in the Stoner Pit with a bad crowd that included Vicki Donovan. Though Riley was aware of his crush on Matt's older sister, she was worried that it would only lead to trouble. His hair was a bit longer, giving him a disheveled appearance.

"Do I know you, stranger?"

"Very funny, Ri"

"Sorry. It's hard to recognize someone when you haven't seen them for eight months"

"I—I know that I've been…it's just…things have been really hard lately. I uh didn't want to bring you down with all my p—problems"

He sounded very anxious. His hand kept running through his hair. She looked at him, concerned.

"Is everything okay? Elena messaged me about what happened"

"She did?" he asked, surprised.

"About Vicki's overdose. I know you had a crush on her for the longest time"

A couple weeks ago, Riley had received a message from Elena. She learned that Vicki's body was found buried in the woods and it was assumed that she died from a drug overdose. Before her body had been discovered, everyone assumed she had run away from home. Riley was not shocked by that rumor, remembering Vicki from her childhood. Even as a young girl, Vicki always liked to be the rebellious one and even ran away from home at just eight years old after a fight with her mother. She had been hiding out in Tyler's old tree house but it still put the town into a panic.

"Yea, Vicki…it sucks"

Riley felt like something else was bothering him. She had a sixth sense about knowing when someone lied to her. Jeremy was not messaging her after all these months because of one girl's death.

"Jer, is something else going on?"

"No"

"So you decided to chat with me for no reason?"

"You're just…someone different to talk to, Ri. You're not as dumb as most of the people in this town. Even when we were little, you were the one that everyone went to with their problems"

"Are you having any so-called problems?"

"Well, I—it's just—this is hard to explain. I shouldn't be bothering you. I'm sorry"

"Jer, wait"

The chat box vanished from her laptop screen. As she tried to text him, getting no responses, her parents entered the café. Both were wiping dirt from their faces. Riley told them about her short conversation with Jeremy. Her father assured her that Jeremy was struggling to cope with Vicki's death, which occurred less than year after his parents' death. He went over to the counter to order drinks. Reaching into her bag, her mother showed her a wolf skull found in the caves.

"Sure it's not a werewolf?"

"Oh, I wish. It's sad there aren't many bloodlines left. The vampires took most of them out as a precaution. One bite from a werewolf and a vampire dies"

Riley glanced over at her father. He was talking on his phone, looking very annoyed.

"Do you really think Vicki died from an overdose?"

"Why would the police lie, Riley?"

"So people don't freak out that vampires exist. You always told me that it's easy to cover up"

"It isn't our concern, sweetheart. The council is there to handle any problems"

Her father returned with two coffees. He had been on the phone with his younger brother John. Despite being a Gilbert, no one liked him. Riley could barely tolerate him and whenever he used to visit their home in Mystic Falls, she avoided him as much as possible. John had returned to town after he learned that blood banks in a neighboring county had been broken into multiple times and people were missing within the surrounding area. According to John, the tomb underneath the church, where vampires had been trapped in 1864, was somehow open with no one inside.

"You know how John is, Alice. He'll stir up all kinds of trouble in the council"

"Your brother does like drama"

"Because he's usually at the center of it. Let's enjoy our time here"

"Yea, while it lasts" muttered Riley.

"What does that mean, Riley?"

She shrugged, taking a sip of her cinnamon latte. "I just know that in another week or two, I'll come home to find all of our stuff packed in boxes and a plane ticket waiting for me. Where is it going to be this time? Maybe you should just spin a globe and go where your finger lands"

Her mother used the same old work excuse. Riley wanted to confront them about the obvious lie. It seemed strange that they moved so frequently without any sort of warning. After the first ten times, she was no longer surprised, just accepting that they needed to go somewhere new.

"I'm just so worried" she heard her mother say.

"Worried about what?"

She looked at Riley, confused. "Who's worried, sweetheart?"

"You just—nothing"

Riley stared at the window while her parents discussed her uncle John. It was raining heavily outside, practically flooding the streets and sidewalks. Around nine, her mother decided to head back to their house to compile data from their recent cave excavation. Riley sat with her father, continuing to sketch in her notebook.

"You always draw when something's bothering you. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just felt like drawing today"

He glanced at her current drawing. It depicted a girl staring at herself in the mirror but her reflection had a sinister appearance. When he asked her about it, she told him it was an image she saw in one of her dreams. The girl in the drawing reminded her of Elena with her long dark brown hair and warm brown eyes. Her father suggested that they return home because it was getting late. He groaned, hearing his phone ring.

"I just know that's your uncle. He's not going to stop pestering me. You go on ahead. I'll meet you at home"

Riley gave him a quick hug and left the café. She regretted not bringing a jacket with her. The rain caused her wavy chestnut brown locks to stick to her face. She jumped over cracks in the sidewalk, checking texts from her friends. Caroline was asking her if she had any flings with a cute French guy. As she turned the corner, she heard her mother's voice. Her mother was in a dimly lit alley, fighting with a man with light brown hair. Riley could not get a good look at him since his back was turned to her. Dozens of people were lying face-down in the alley, bleeding profusely from their necks. Seeing the stake in her mother's hand, she realized that he was a vampire. The man backhanded her mother, knocking her into the wall. He threw the stake behind him. It landed in the middle of the street. Her mother was barely conscious. Riley hurried across the street, picking up the stake. As he advanced on her mother, she jammed the stake into his back and watched him fall to the ground.

She bent down to her mother, checking for any injuries. There was a small cut on her forehead from hitting the wall.

"Mom, you'll be okay. The house isn't too far. Just hold onto me and"

Before she could help her mother, Riley was tugged back forcefully. She struggled against the man's grip. He sniffed her neck and she could feel him shudder. Her eyes widened when his fangs pierced her neck. She kept struggling, kicking her legs. Her petite stature gave her a major disadvantage, making any attempts to hurt him pointless. His arm snaked around her waist, pinning her to his body. She cried out in pain, falling to her knees. Her doe-like dark green eyes were reflected in a puddle of water that turned slightly red as droplets of blood fell from her neck. With each passing minute, he fed on her hungrily as though he had not eaten in years.

Riley could feel herself inching closer to death. In this instance, there was no stereotypical bright light at the end of a tunnel and her life never flashed before her eyes. No longer able to fight back, she welcomed death, thinking it would be far less painful. Death was not the end for her, just another adventure. Her vision was blurry and her eyelids began to feel very heavy.

"Riley!"

A second later, the man was torn away from her. Weakened from the loss of blood, she fell forward, her head hitting the ground. The last thing she witnessed before blacking out was her father staking the man in the heart…

* * *

**A/N: The story will be set during season 2. I wanted to use this chapter as a little prologue that introduced Riley's character and her connections to Mystic Falls. **

******Thanks for reading :) **


	2. Return to Mystic Falls

The morning after the vampire attack, Riley woke up in her bedroom with her mother at her side. Her father had been on the phone, contacting all of their nearby vampire friends. Despite being aware that vampires could be very dangerous, her parents taught her that not all of them were a menace to society. Over the years, she met many vampires who controlled their blood lust and interacted well with humans. They were like a regular person, except with a different diet. Not knowing any vampires in the town, her father hoped one of their friends could come to give Riley blood and heal her wounds. Riley refused the offer. She did not mind having the bite marks because they acted as a constant reminder to never be in that situation again. In the past, she had been an independent person, able to care for herself. The vampire incident changed life at home drastically.

Her parents would not leave her alone in the house, even if they were only going to the market. She had to go with them to every archaeological site or her father's shifts at the local hospital. If she got the tiniest scratch on her arm from a sharp branch, her father bandaged the cut before it started to bleed a tiny bit. After two weeks, she was getting annoyed with their constant coddling. She understood their concern, considering she had almost died, but did not appreciate being treated like a fragile doll. They did not listen to reason when she explained that a vampire could not enter their house without an invitation. That night had not left her mind, even in her dreams. While her parents worried about keeping her out of a harm's way, she thought of how the vampire had been barely affected by the wooden stake. She knew that she missed the heart by barely an inch but it still should have stunned him for at least a minute. That vampire was not like others she had encountered in her life.

Late at night, when her parents had gone to bed, she stayed up, reading her Gilbert ancestors' research on vampires. There was no information that explained how that vampire could stand being pierced by a wooden uncle John continued to harass her father at all hours. He was keeping them up to the date on the latest events in Mystic Falls. A few days ago, the council formed a plan to get rid of the tomb vampires because they were going to attack the Founder's Day Celebration . John used the Gilbert device to incapacitate the vampires and once one was identified, they were injected with vervain. The vampires were then taken to the basement of her uncle Grayson's old medical clinic, which he used to share with her father before he left Mystic Falls, and the basement had been set on fire. Her mother chastised John for a foolish scheme that could have put many lives in danger. She never agreed with the council's tactics in dealing with supernatural beings.

Tyler's father, the mayor, had also been affected by the device and died in the fire with the other vampires. Riley learned that the Lockwoods were one of the few families left that carried the werewolf gene. It could only be triggered if they killed a person. Her parents assured her that Tyler's father had never activated the gene before his death.

Riley was woken up by the sound of her alarm. She chucked the alarm clock onto the floor and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Seeing her parents in front of her bed, with her mother holding a breakfast tray, she jumped.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Good morning, sleepy head. I made breakfast"

Her mother put the tray down on the bed. Riley eyed the plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit and the glass of orange juice with suspicion. She picked up the toast and took a small bite.

"What's going on? Is this my last meal before you lock me in the basement to keep a mosquito from biting me? They could be deadly" she said, sarcastically.

"No. We have good news. We've been planning it for a while but we wanted to wait until everything was ready. Riley, we're moving"

"You have to be kidding me. Mom, Dad, it was one vampire. I'll admit that it was my own fault for staking him. Uncle John always said I had impulse issues. I do something without thinking. I'll work on it. Also, I think I've become allergic to airports…or any kind of transportation"

Her father chuckled. "Slow down, scamp. First of all, do not ever take advice from your uncle. I find your recklessness amusing. Second, I think you'll enjoy this move. We're going back to Mystic Falls"

Riley dropped the toast in her hand. She waited for her parents to tell her it was a joke. Both of them simply smiled. She almost knocked over the tray as she jumped out of her bed.

"Seriously? Mystic Falls?" she asked, shocked.

"Your mother and I worked it all out. I'm going to get my job back as head doctor of the hospital. I was going to work out of the old clinic but since your uncle chose to relive his childhood pyrotechnic activities, they had to tear down the building. Your mother is going to teach archaeology courses at Whitmore College. We might have to leave for her research from time to time but we thought this would be best for you. We know how much you've missed your friends there"

"Does anyone know yet?"

"No. It's going to be a big surprise. We're even going back to our old house…the mansion next to the Lockwoods"

Riley hugged her parents, unable to contain her excitement. She had always wanted to return to Mystic Falls. Her parents gave her the same excuse every time, telling her they would return when her mother did not have as much work. She did not even bother to question their sudden change of heart. All she could think about was being in her old house. Her father had inherited the old Gilbert mansion, a large estate that once belonged to Johnathan Gilbert during the 1800s. Once they packed a few suitcases, most of their belongings being taken by a moving company last night, they left for the airport with their already purchased plane tickets. During the long eight hour flight, she kept bouncing in her seat, acting like a small child. There was going to be a carnival at the high school tonight. Caroline had messaged her about it weeks ago, being the one in charge of set up. Riley decided to search for her friends there. Once the plane landed, her father rented a car to drive to Mystic Falls.

"Dad, could we stop at the hospital before we go to the house? I wanted to visit Caroline"

"I already checked with the hospital while you and your mother were getting our luggage. She was released about an hour ago"

"So soon?" asked her mother, surprised.

"I was surprised too. From what Liz said, her injuries were very bad"

Caroline, Matt, and Tyler had gotten into a car accident on the night of the Founder's Day Celebration. From what Matt told her in a quick voicemail, Tyler was the one driving and got distracted by some noise. Riley assumed it had to do with the Gilbert device. She did not expect Caroline to be healed up within two days.

"I guess I'll find her at the carnival then. She's probably screaming at some poor freshman right now for not keeping all of the prizes in a straight line" she joked.

An hour later, they arrived at their old mansion. It did not look any different from eight years ago. The Lockwood mansion was right next door. She helped her parents carry in the boxes. Without a second thought, she headed up to her old bedroom. The last time she was in there, she was nine years old. She cringed at the thought of seeing the pink wallpaper. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find that her room had been repainted to match her room back in France. She unpacked her belongings and hung up her latest drawings. From her window, she could see Tyler's room. When they were younger, they would always write messages to each other and show them through the windows. She went back downstairs to find her mother taking out an expensive vase.

"You two really have been planning this move. I was expecting to see pink walls and my old dollhouse"

"We wanted you to feel right at home. It shouldn't take long to get this place fixed up"

"I'm going to head to the carnival. I promise to be home before the sun comes up"

Walking towards the front door, she ducked her head to avoid being hit by a box. Her father put the box down on the floor. He looked at the faint bite marks. Riley had covered the marks with a cute scarf.

"I wish you'd let me—Riley, I have a vial of blood from Nate"

"I don't want it, Dad. I like having them"

"No one likes to be bitten"

"It reminds me to never be in that position again"

Sighing in defeat, he hugged her. He promised that he would never let another vampire lay a hand on her. Her father had gotten so protective lately that he could stake a vampire for simply looking in her direction.

"Can we talk about it?"

"Riley, we had a long discussion after it happened"

"The way he bit me…it was like my blood was addicting"

"He must have been a newborn vampire. They're uncontrolled. He tasted your blood and it sent him into a frenzy. Your grandfather once told me about how vampires could be problem drinkers...like an alcoholic"

"And what about how he was barely affected by the stake? Isn't that weird?"

"I need to help your mother with the kitchen. We'll talk some other time"

She watched her father enter the kitchen and pick up a box of silverware. Rolling her eyes, she left the house, heading to the carnival. The carnival was set up in the back of the school with game booths, food stands, and rides. As she walked around, she spotted a banner for arm wrestling sponsored by the wrestling club. Tyler, who looked a lot more muscular than he did eight years ago, was in a match against one of the football players. He beat the guy with little effort, nearly breaking his arm. She moved through the crowd, smiling when she noticed her friend Jayden among the jocks.

Jayden was her best friend in Mystic Falls. They had known each other since diapers, their mothers being inseparable in high school. She missed him the most when leaving town. At first, it was hard to not see him every day. They were used to being attached at the hip and daily emails did not make the situation much better. While she was stuck traveling to different countries, he became a star jock in Mystic Falls, playing football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. It proved difficult to not tell him about her return. Everyone was busy cheering for Tyler's victory.

"What a shame. All this testosterone and not a sheep in sight"

"Very funny, Riley" said Tyler, locking hands with another muscular football player.

Riley smirked when he turned around. Jayden practically knocked over a few people and squeezed her in a bone-crushing hug. She had to endure hugs from everyone in the crowd. The jocks almost broke her in half, forgetting that they had muscle and she was petite. Tyler hugged her, lifting her a few inches off of the ground.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in—some country where they talk funny"

"I see geography is still not your best subject. My parents decided to move back"

"Move b—you're staying?" asked Jayden, smiling.

"Yep. Just because you've got those muscles, don't think I can't still kick your butt, White"

"Bring it on, Gilbert"

Jayden kept his arms around her waist. He grabbed a cup of beer from a back table. As she took the cup, she noticed two guys staring at her. One of the guys was her age with gelled dark brown hair and forest green eyes. The other guy looked about early 20s with tousled jet black hair and pale blue eyes. He was a bit more toned and his appearance screamed bad boy. She tensed up, getting weird vibes from them. While the dark-haired guy watched Tyler in his next match, the other one did not break his gaze off of Riley. She asked Jayden to show her around the carnival.

As they went on rides and played games, she bumped into other old friends like Bonnie, Jeremy, and Matt. Elena was strangely absent from the carnival. Riley and Jayden were playing a game that involved making five baskets in a row. After Jayden made his fifth shot, he got a stuffed penguin as a prize and handed it to her.

"He's a fancy penguin. Look at that bowtie and suit" he said.

"A fancy penguin deserves an equally fancy name. Mr. Tuxedo Pants"

"Well if it isn't my favorite girl"

Riley groaned and turned around to see two guys her age. The dark-haired one was looking her up and down with pure lust in his eyes. They were Jayden's friends, Cameron Montgomery and Garret McGuire. Riley depised the entire Montgomery family. They were one of the founding families of Mystic Falls and tended to act very snooty. When she first lived here, Riley got into fights with Cameron's sister Alison, who created a popular clique called The Blondes with her lapdogs Kristen Clarke and Emma Anderson. The Blondes were the typical mean girls. Cameron was a creep, plain and simple. Even as a little boy, he would try to kiss Riley or see up her skirts. His disgusting behavior led to frequent trips to the nurses's office, courtesy of Riley punching and kicking him. Garrett, on the other hand, was very kind and compassionate. She did not understand why Jayden and Garrett hung around with Cameron, seeing them as complete opposites. Jayden defended Cameron, telling her that he could be a decent person.

She glared, noticing Cameron's eyes on her chest. "My eyes are up here, pervert"

"Did you miss me, Ri?"

"No. I'd rather be hit by a truck than see your face again"

He smirked. "Still playing hard to get, huh?"

"If you don't stop being such a creep, we'll play a new game called _How far can I shove my foot up your ass_. I'm going to keep looking for Elena"

"Ri, wait" said Jayden.

Riley left them at the basketball game, continuing the search for her cousin. As she turned the corner, she bumped into someone. It was Caroline, who looked a little nervous.

"Sor—Riley!"

She smiled and hugged the peppy blonde. "Hey Care. I'm glad you're out of the hospital. My dad told me about the accident. I was worried about you"

"Well I'm all better now. I was looking for you. I heard Jeremy say you and your parents moved back"

"Yea. Do you want to help me find Elena? We can catch up while—are you okay?"

Caroline was sniffing the air. She shuddered a bit.

"Do you smell that? It's the most amazing thing I've ever"

To her confusion, Caroline leaned closer, sniffing her neck. "It's you. You smell so good"

"I got this new lotion in France. Maybe it's that"

"It's—I n—need to go. I have to—go get more stuffed bears for the r—ring toss"

"I can help with"

"No! Just—I can do it m—myself. I'll see you later"

Caroline looked even more anxious as she walked away from her. Riley started to follow her until someone grabbed her arm. Glancing up, she saw the younger guy who had been staring at her during the arm wrestling matches. He claimed that Caroline was very upset and needed to be alone. She did not appreciate some stranger telling her what to do, especially if it dealt with her friends.

"If she's upset, that's the last thing she needs. Let go of my arm"

Riley wrenched her arm from his strong grip. "I didn't mean to—I'm Stefan. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new to Mystic Falls?"

"No, I'm not"

"I didn't catch your name"

"Because I didn't give it to you. I don't talk to creeps who stare at me like I'm some snack"

"I wasn't. I just"

"Don't care. I'm going to find Caroline. If you get in my way again, I'll toss you into the dunk tank"

She searched for Caroline, wondering what had gotten her upset. Entering the parking lot, she saw Tyler with his uncle Mason, who used to babysit him and Riley as children. She heard that he returned to town for his brother's funeral. Tyler was breathing heavily, his fists shaking.

"Tyler? Are you okay?"

"He got into a little fight. I need you to take him home. I'll meet you there"

Riley grabbed onto Tyler, leading him back to his house. He explained what had happened in the parking lot. One of the carnival workers bumped into him and started a fight. Tyler felt this sudden burst of uncontrollable rage. Before the fight escalated too far, Mason intervened, knocking the guy out with a quick punch. Riley sat him down in the living room. When Mrs. Lockwood passed by, looking at him with concern, Riley lied that he had a bit too much to drink and she wanted to make sure he got home safe. Riley poured a glass of water in the kitchen and handed it to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yea, you know I've got those anger issues. They've gotten worse since my dad died"

"That fight wasn't your fault. The guy was probably having a bad day and decided to take it out on you"

"It was weird, Ri. It was like he couldn't stop fighting me, even if he wanted to…"

Her mind immediately thought of compulsion. It was possible that not all of the vampires in Mystic Falls had burned in the fire set by her uncle. A few minutes later, she could hear Mason speaking with Mrs. Lockwood. They left the living room.

"I'll see if I can dig up that stone you're looking for, Mason. It's bound to be tucked away in one of Richard's hiding places"

Mrs. Lockwood walked up the staircase. Mason ruffled Riley's hair, grinning.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, munchkin. It's a good thing you're here. You can keep this wild guy in check"

"I always do"

"I'm going to head to bed. You two should get some sleep too"

As Mason went into one of the guest bedrooms, Riley questioned Tyler about the stone. He brought her into his father's study. According to Tyler, Mason had come to town for more than the funeral. He was searching for something called a moonstone. Lifting up a floorboard, he showed a hidden safe. He opened the safe, which was filled with random documents and journals. Digging through the mess, he picked up a translucent, milky-colored stone.

"Has he told you why he wants it?"

"No. I don't get what's so important about a rock"

"Don't show it to him yet…not until he gives you some answers. I should head home. I'll see you later"

He put the stone in his pocket. "I'm really glad you're back"

"Don't get sappy with me, Lockwood" she teased.

Riley returned home, finding her father in the dining room. He was reading through some hospital documents.

"You're home early. The carnival wasn't that good?"

"No, it was fun. I saw everybody but Elena. I think she was busy keeping things in order. We have a problem"

She sat down at the table and told her father about Tyler's fight at the carnival. Like Riley, he believed that the worker had been compelled by a vampire. She mentioned Mason's search for the moonstone. Her father was shocked that Mason possibly activated his werewolf side.

"If he's looking for the moonstone, he wants to break that sun and moon curse"

"What else does he need besides the stone?"

"I haven't read about that curse in years. The details are vague"

"You don't look very surprised about vampires being here"

"Mystic Falls draws all kinds of supernatural activity, Riley. I'm not surprised that John's plan wasn't perfect. We can't just assume that they're going to harm anyone"

"Dad, I think…Caroline is one. You weren't with me at the carnival. She was really jittery and she sniffed my neck. She said she smelled something really good. I lied about wearing lotion because I didn't want to scare her. I think that's why she healed so quickly. One of the vampires turned her"

He sighed. "Riley, let's keep this between us. I want you to remember that even if she is a vampire, Caroline is still there. She'll be going through a rough time and she needs a friend like you to help her"

Riley nodded and headed up to her room. Lying on her bed, she thought about Caroline's behavior at the carnival. She was worried that Caroline would be unable to control herself. Newborn vampires always struggled with the transition. She remembered how Stefan warned her about staying away from Caroline. Deep down, she knew the truth about him and his dark-haired friend. She stayed in her bed, wondering if either of them caused one of her closest friends to become a vampire…

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**A/N: Thanks for reading. I appreciate all of the reviews. In this story, Jayden is going to be for Riley what Matt is for Elena, the friend that is oblivious to all of the supernatural craziness. For a while, Elena and the others will keep the supernatural business away from Riley, not knowing that she is aware of everything. It's going to lead to interesting situations and a few tense moments. One reviewer had asked who portrays Riley and in my mind, it's Lucy Hale from ****_Pretty Little Liars_****. Promise to update soon :) **


	3. The Barbecue

Learning that Caroline was a newborn vampire had not made Riley nervous for herself, but for her friend. Newborns always struggled with their thirst for blood and risked a higher chance of being killed, especially by someone aware of the supernatural world. She felt more protective of her friends in Mystic Falls, not wanting them to be the next victim. Listening to her father's advice, she did not stay away from Caroline. She would never abandon her close friend at such a fragile time. The next time she saw Caroline was at Tyler's party at the swimming hole in the woods. She appeared to be much more relaxed than she had been at the carnival. Riley pretended to believe her lie that she was jumpy from the hospital medication. Caroline was not the only one being apprehensive around her. Elena, Bonnie, and even Jeremy would immediately change the subject of their conversations. Their fake smiles did not fool her but she played along, acting like everything was fine.

At night, she would sit with her father in his study, searching for information on the sun and moon curse. Her mother's old research on vampires provided useful answers. The sun and moon curse was described a thousand years ago, supposedly developed by a shaman. Due to the curse, vampires were weakened by the sun and werewolves could only transform on the full moon. The curse led to a feud between the two supernatural races and the near extinction of werewolf bloodlines. They discovered a few ingredients to breaking the curse, including the moonstone and the blood of a doppelgänger, a supernatural double of a living person. According to her father, it would be like having a twin as an ancestor.

Riley was getting ready for her first day at Mystic Falls High. She dabbed concealer onto her bite marks and wrapped a scarf around her neck. Grabbing her tote bag, she headed downstairs. Her mother was cooking breakfast. Jayden was sitting at the kitchen counter, eating a waffle.

"Hey Riley" he said, his mouth full.

"Who said you could eat our food, Jay? Mom, you know he'll eat everything in the house. He's like a garbage disposal"

Her mother smiled. "Jayden is welcome to eat here whenever he likes. You two are going to be late for school"

Riley grabbed an apple and waved goodbye to her mother, following Jayden out of the house. He offered to drive her to and from school every day. As she sat in the passenger seat, she noticed Jayden looking at her.

"Jay, I know I'm gorgeous but you need to keep your eyes on the road, not my face" she teased.

"What's with the scarf? Is this some new girly fashion trend?"

"It's cute. I was in a scarf mood. Just because you have no fashion sense…"

"Are you hiding a hickey? You've been here two days and you've already hooked up with someone?"

"I didn't hook up with anyone. I was too busy dodging Cameron's attempts to take off my bikini top. You were no help at all" she replied.

He began to drive down the street. "I saw Stefan watching you a lot yesterday. You better be careful"

She looked at Jayden, confused. He mentioned that Elena and Stefan were in a relationship. They met on the first day of school and became a couple within a few weeks. Elena surprisingly left that out of any of her messages to Riley. Jayden said that Stefan was a friendly guy but mostly kept it to himself. For a short time, he played on the football team. He had an older brother named Damon, who Riley assumed was the dark-haired guy she had seen with Stefan at the carnival. Jayden told her how Caroline showed interest in Damon, going on a few dates with him.

"For a guy, you know a lot of gossip"

"Caroline kept bragging about him to girls in class. Tanner made me sit behind her in History after I pulled a prank on him so it was hard not to hear her. I heard things about Damon that no guy should ever hear. I'm kind of glad their relationship just fizzled. It saved me from that torture"

Minutes later, they arrived at the school. Riley walked into the main office. Mrs. Clarke, the secretary, smiled.

"Can I help you, dear?"

"I just transferred here. My mom should've sent over my papers. Riley Gilbert"

Checking files on the computer, she printed out a class schedule and locker combination, handing both documents to Riley. Leaving the office, Riley found her locker near entrance to the school courtyard. Opening it, she was showered in confetti and balloons. A poster had been placed on the inside of her locker with the following writing: _Welcome back, Riley!_. Pictures of her and her friends from eight years ago covered the entire poster. Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie appeared from behind the doors, laughing. She brushed the confetti out of her hair.

"I should've expected that"

"Happy first day. How does it feel to be an official Timberwolf?" asked Bonnie, smiling.

"It's the best day of my life"

Caroline handed her a box. Inside was a cheerleading uniform. Riley forgot that she promised to be on the cheerleading squad if she ever returned to Mystic Falls.

"I made this promise when I was nine years old"

"Caroline will still hold you to it. A promise is a promise, Ri" said Elena.

"But she let you leave the squad. By the way, why am I finding out about boyfriends from Jayden?"

Elena blushed. "It slipped my mind. I didn't think you'd want to hear about it while you were having fun in foreign countries"

Their conversation was interrupted by Stefan. He opened the locker next to Riley's. She had still not forgotten how he acted with her at the carnival. It was even worse at Tyler's party where she kept feeling his eyes on her. Hearing that he was in a relationship with Elena did not make her any less wary of him. Elena tended to be very naïve. He greeted her with a kiss.

"It's nice to see you again, Riley. I guess we're locker neighbors"

"Fun" she said, trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

Elena looked between them with a concerned expression. Jayden walked over, breaking the tension. Last night, he planned pranks with Riley for her first day at school. As children, they were well-known pranksters, their victims being adults and children. Caroline chastised them for their silly pranks. She tried to find out about their plan but both remained tight-lipped. Riley winked at her friends and followed Jayden to the History classroom. She had been hoping to prank Mr. Tanner, who used to be her history teacher in elementary school. There was a huge rivalry between them due to her pranks and the fact that Riley tended to be a bit of a smartmouth. Tanner would try to get revenge by asking her tough history questions as a way to humiliate her in front of her classmates but she always knew the answer. Jayden hid chalk in the eraser while Riley hid paint bombs in the desk drawer. They drew funny pictures on the blackboard. Hearing the bell ring, they sat in the back of the classroom, talking about random things.

Caroline sat in front of Jayden and shot them both a suspicious look. "What did you two do?"

"Care, I am insulted that you think we pranked this classroom"

"Oh drop the innocent act, Riley. If you do anything to send Mr. Saltzman to the nurse's office, I will put you at the bottom of the cheer pyramid"

Riley put her hand to her chest. "Not the bottom. How ever will I survive?" she asked, dramatically.

Jayden stifled a laugh. Alison and her lapdogs entered the classroom. With her usual sneer in place, she walked over to Riley's desk. Emma and Kristen both shot her a contemptuous look.

"You're in my seat, Gilbert"

"I don't see your name on it, Montgomery. Mine happens to be written on the back with this magical object called a marker"

"Jayden, tell her to move. We always sit together"

"Not by choice" he muttered.

"You're not his type. He prefers to date someone that's the same species. I'd be glad to set you up with my neighbor's dog. You have a lot in common…you both bark and have fleas"

Alison glared. "You better listen to me, you little runt. I am the Queen Bee around here. You do what I say or you can eat next to the dumpsters with the other losers in this school"

"Such a snippy puppy, Montgomery. I think someone needs a few more classes at obedience school"

Kids laughed, watching the fight between Alison and Riley. They were used to their constant arguments that started in preschool when Riley refused to let Alison on the swing since it was Elena's turn. With Riley back, there was finally someone to stand up to Alison and her little clique. A man in his early 30s shut the door to the classroom, telling Alison, Emma, and Kristen to find their seats. The three blonde girls threw one more glare at Riley and sat at desks in the front of the room. She groaned as Cameron took the empty seat next to her. Jayden told her that the man was Alaric Saltzman, who recently moved to Mystic Falls to replace Mr. Tanner. He was considered the cool teacher.

"Morning, class. My name is Alaric Saltzman and I'm telling you this because we have a new student with us. I hear she's not really new to most of you but why don't you tell us about yourself, Riley? You can tell us two fun facts"

"I'm Riley Gilbert. Elena is my cousin and I am pretty much the only person not intimidated by the plastic barbie also known as Alison Montgomery" she said, seeing Alison rip a page in her notebook angrily.

"Good to know. Riley, if you ever need help, you can always email or visit my office during lunch. Let's continue our discussion about the 1950s"

"You can always come to me for private tutoring, Ri. I'm really hands-on" whispered Cameron, resting his hand on her knee.

She pushed his hand off and smiled sweetly. "If you don't want to lose that hand, keep it to yourself"

As he turned around, he observed the drawings on the board. He used the eraser but it only created more chalk marks. Opening his desk drawer to find a new eraser, the paint bomb exploded, splattering paint all over his face. The classroom burst into a fit of laughter. Mr. Saltzman looked directly at Jayden. He and Riley were struggling to maintain straight faces.

"I'm guessing this is your handiwork, Jayden"

"I can't take all the credit, sir"

Caroline chucked a pen at Riley's head. "Seriously? You couldn't just leave it at the funny pictures?"

"That was child's play. I'm a mature prankster now"

After Alaric wiped the paint off of him, he continued his lesson. By the end of the week, Jayden and Riley managed to target every single classroom. The teachers caught on quickly, knowing that they set up the pranks, and warned them to behave or receive detentions. To get Riley to warm up to Stefan, Elena wanted her to attend Jenna's barbecue. Jenna had invited her and her parents when she met her mother for lunch at Mystic Grill. Riley lied about plans with Tyler to get out of it. Elena pleaded for her to give Stefan a chance, assuring her that he was an amazing person. After listening to Elena beg for two class periods, she caved, promising to be there.

Riley was helping Jenna and Elena set up for the barbecue. She grabbed bags of pretzels and chips from the pantry. Alaric was outside, starting up the grill. He did not mind if Riley called him by his first name. She found out that he was somewhat dating Jenna. Handing the chips to Elena, they poured both bags into large bowls. For some reason, Caroline was invited to the barbecue, but not Bonnie. Elena claimed that Bonnie had to go out of town with her father.

Jenna walked over to the counter. "It feels like old times with you and your parents back, Riley. When they left, this town was a lot less fun. Are they going back on the council?"

"They don't have a choice, being founding family members. My mom isn't going to bother with the meetings. She says that she fell asleep more often during those meetings than she did in her high school classes"

"I don't blame her. They act like it's some super exclusive club"

Her parents arrived, bringing pasta salad and brownies. As her mother helped Jenna set up the food, her father nodded his head towards the door. Riley followed him into the living room. From his pocket, he took out a small spray bottle with golden-colored liquid. He explained that it was a special herbal mixture that he received from an old witch friend. The spray would hopefully hide Riley's scent to protect her from vampires. She sprayed it onto her neck. They would not know if it worked unless she encountered a vampire like Caroline. Going back into the kitchen, she heard a conversation between Elena and Jenna.

"Thanks for letting me invite Caroline. She could use some distraction...with um Matt and everything. They've been a little rocky lately" said Elena.

"She's not the plus one I'm worried about. Why is Damon coming?"

Elena explained that Alaric was pitying Damon. Riley grabbed some pretzels from the bowl.

"Ooh, who's Damon?" she asked, playing clueless.

Jenna smacked her shoulder. "No, don't go ooh. Damon is an ew"

"He's Stefan's older brother" said Elena.

"I'll distract him for you. I like them older"

"No!"

She turned towards Elena, seeing a nervous expression in her eyes. Elena suggested that Riley stay away from him, saying that he was not her type.

"Ellie, we last saw each other when I was 9. Did I have a type then?"

"I just mean that he's a jerk. Don't bother with him. Seriously, don't even talk to him, Ri. Be nice to him, Jenna"

"I'll be nice when he learns to keep his hands off you"

"Oh, I know that type. His name is Brendon" said her mother, making her and Jenna laugh.

Riley scrunched her nose when she kissed her father. "Innocent children in the room. I don't want to be scarred for life"

Elena giggled. Mason entered the kitchen, holding a bottle of tequila and shot glasses. Without a second thought, Elena left the room. Riley stayed in the kitchen, thinking she could have some future leverage if her parents got drunk at this barbecue. Jenna joked that it reminded her of being under the bleachers at a high school pep rally. As Mason poured shots, Alaric brought in steaks and burgers. Jenna introduced him to Riley's parents.

"Oh, the expensive stuff. I like you already" he told Mason.

"Just happy to be invited"

"It was Ric's idea" said Jenna.

Alaric shrugged. "I thought it would be nice to meet Jenna's old friends. Dig up some dirt"

Riley picked up one of the shot glasses. Her mother crossed her arms .

"You let me drink in other countries" she said, innocently.

"The drinking age was 16, not 21"

Mason put his arm around Riley. "Relax, Alice. I used to babysit her, remember? She's tiny but tough. I'll make sure she doesn't black out. Scout's honor"

"You were always a bad influence on her, Mason. You convinced her and Tyler that they could fly when they were 5 and they jumped out a window on the second floor"

"Hey, you are never going to convince me that I did not fly for at least a few seconds. If Tyler didn't knock into me, I would've made it to my room" argued Riley.

They clinked their glasses and downed the shots. Riley's smile faltered when Damon walked into the kitchen, holding a pie box. Her parents immediately saw through his façade. They were the ones who trained her on spotting the signs of a vampire. The mood in the kitchen had gotten considerably more tense.

"Just doing some shots. Come get your shot, buddy" said Alaric.

Jenna gave her shot glass to Damon, looking irritated. He smiled at her parents.

"Hey, I'm Damon. I don't think we've met before"

"I doubt that since we just moved back a week ago. I'm Elena's uncle Brice and this is my wife Alice"

"Right, the mysterious Gilbert brother" he replied, shaking his hand.

Her father chuckled. "Mysterious is an exaggeration. You are definitely a Salvatore"

"What gave it away? My smoldering good looks?"

"My father taught me how to tell the founding families apart. Yours is pretty easy"

Damon looked at Riley. "I remember seeing you at the carnival. You were little miss popular"

"This is my daughter Riley. She's the same age as Elena"

Riley left the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with him. She went outside, finding Elena and Caroline on the porch. Caroline mentioned having to break up with Matt. Elena got very quiet, staring at the floor. Riley sat in an empty chair.

"What are we talking about?"

"Nothing. I was um trying to call Stefan. He's not answering his phone" said Elena.

"Maybe he got busy. I'm sure he'll call you back"

"Enough moping. Let's talk about something else…like when Riley and Jayden are getting together" teased Caroline.

She threw a chip at her. "Never, Miss Matchmaker. It would be like hooking up with a brother"

Alaric called them into the house. After a quick meal, they played a game of charades. It was not easy to guess the pictures since only Riley and her father possessed any real artistic skill. Every time Damon had a turn, his drawings depicted wolves. Riley glanced over at Mason, who was not missing the obvious reference. The adults drank a lot of liquor and she could see that her parents were getting tipsy. Riley drew a bat with blood on its fangs.

"Vampire bat" said Damon, a slight smirk on his face.

"Damon got it"

She sat on the arm of the couch, next to her father. He leaned closer to her as Damon went in front of the easel.

"You're not being subtle, scamp" he whispered.

"Neither is he"

Damon drew a wolf in a tutu with music notes surrounding its head. She rolled her eyes. Mason did not look amused. Each of Caroline and Jenna's guesses were wrong.

"Dances with wolves" said Mason.

"Mason wins again"

"How is that a wolf?" asked Jenna, puzzled.

While Caroline started her turn, drawing stick figures, Riley grabbed the bottles of tequila, whiskey, and wine. The adults did not need more drinks. If Jenna had one more shot, she might topple to the floor. She snuck into the kitchen, seeing Elena and Damon in a deep conversation.

"Am I interrupting?"

"N—no. I was just getting the um pie ready. What are you doing?"

"Hiding the liquor before my parents get so drunk that they sneak into the car to make out in the backseat"

Riley finished off the nearly empty bottle of tequila in one sip. She tossed the bottle into the trash can. Damon smirked.

"I like you, Riley. I guess sexiness runs in the Gilbert family"

"Does being a creep run in yours?" she retorted.

"Is this about the carnival? I didn't mean to scare you. I just can't help admiring a beautiful face"

She put the bottles in the liquor cabinet. Turning to Damon, she scoffed at his lame attempt at flirting.

"Get one thing straight, blue eyes. You don't scare me. If I catch you doing your so-called admiring again, my fist will be meeting your face. Are we clear?"

"Ooh, you're feisty. If you want, we could occupy that backseat"

Elena nudged his side roughly. "Damon" she hissed.

"In your dreams"

Riley returned to the living room, convincing her parents to leave. Her mother had to teach class early tomorrow morning and her father had an all day shift at the hospital. As she got them into the car, Elena ran over to her, looking sympathetic. She apologized for Damon's behavior.

"Elena, it's fine"

"It's not. He can be such a—I'm sorry if he made you uncomfortable"

"I've dealt with a lot worse. I should get my parents home. It would be bad if they have hangovers tomorrow"

"Caroline and I are going to check on Stefan. Meet us at the Grill in about an hour? I really want you and him to get along"

"Sure. I'll see you there"

Riley gave Elena a quick hug and drove home. She sat in her bedroom, drawing in her notebook. Around eight, she headed down to Mystic Grill. Elena was leaving the restaurant, muttering to herself. Her outfit was completely different, being much more sensual. She also noticed that her hair had gone from pin-straight to curly.

"Stupid blonde"

"Elena?"

"Riley, hey. I was just leaving"

"You told me to meet you here. You wanted me to hang out with Stefan, remember?"

"Yea, I just uh"

Elena sniffled, tears brimming her eyes. She admitted that she and Stefan had broken up a few minutes ago over another girl. Riley asked if she wanted to talk about it somewhere private but Elena declined the offer, wanting to be alone. When they were younger, Elena always came to Riley with a problem. They would go to a quiet place so Elena could vent to her. If she ever felt sad, she hated to be alone. As Elena continued down the sidewalk, Riley stepped in front of her. She reached into her jacket pocket.

"Riley, I really need to be alone right now. I don't want to talk about Stefan"

"You're not Elena"

"What? Of course I am. Who else could I be?"

"You're not fooling me"

The imposter's expression changed from confusion to amusement. She smirked, circling Riley.

"Well look who's a smart girl. I guess I could use you as a warning message"

Her fangs emerged. As she zoomed towards her, Riley removed the stake from her pocket and jammed it into her side. The girl staggered back in pain. She vanished in a blur. Keeping her guard up, Riley glanced around the street. She swung her leg back, feeling it connect with something behind her. The girl clutched her stomach. Riley swiped her leg, knocking her to the ground. She sprayed vervain at her face and entered the restaurant. Caroline was sitting at a booth, twirling the straw in her glass of soda and looking very guilty.

"Hey Caroline. Are you okay?"

"Yea, I just—no. I'm so not okay right now. I did something terrible and…please just distract me. I can't keep thinking about it"

"We could play pool with those cute college guys. Is that a good distraction?"

"Definitely"

"I call dibs on the tall one"

"No fair!"

They laughed and walked over to the pool tables…

~Damon~

Damon had just left the Mystic Grill. He overheard an awkward conversation between Elena and Stefan about Katherine, leading to their breakup. It would be a lie if he said he was not even a little happy about their fight.

"Bad day?"

Turning his head, he saw Katherine leaning agains the wall. He rolled his eyes, not wanting to deal with her at the moment.

"Bad century. Heard you were on the loose"

"What's the matter? Jealous I spent the day with Stefan?"

"I don't do jealous. Not with you, not anymore"

Katherine followed him, asking what put him in a bad mood. He mentioned how he attempted to kill a werewolf earlier tonight. At Elena's house, he had stolen a piece of silverware to see if it affected Mason. It turned out that silver was not harmful to werewolves. Katherine taunted him that werewolves were difficult to kill. She urged him not to be the hero.

"You'll end up dead"

"Been there, done that. At least this time, it would be worth it"

"I need to talk to you"

"What have we been doing for the past minute?"

"It's serious. Listen to me"

He looked at Katherine, prepared to hear a sob story or a lie. Knowing her, she would want to manipulate him to her side. He was no longer naïve like in the past. She told him that she had spent the past ten minutes, drinking blood from a dozen people.

"Sorry, did I join some women's group with you? Instead of discussing our feelings, we talk about our blood habits? It must've slipped my mind because I try to erase you from my memory"

"I was doing it to get vervain out of my system. The mini Gilbert sprayed me in the face but the vervain wouldn't go away. It was some kind of fancy spray"

"Jeremy? I should've warned you that he's been a little angsty when it comes to vampires lately"

"No, the new Gilbert in town with the innocent doe eyes"

Damon chuckled. "Riley? You expect me to believe Riley hurt you? I could lift her up with one hand"

"She knew I wasn't Elena"

"You're a terrible actress"

She glared at him, explaining that Riley knew she was a vampire from a single glance. Riley had been hiding a stake in her jacket and was much stronger than she appeared, considering her petite size. Katherine warned him that she could know the truth about him, Stefan, and Caroline, reminding him that she was a Gilbert.

"She caught me by surprise and you know hard that is, Damon. I was expecting a little mouse and she turned into a pipsqueak version of Buffy"

Damon peered into the Mystic Grill. Riley and Caroline were at a pool table, flirting with a few college guys. One guy lifted Riley up, sitting her in front of him on the table. On the outside, Riley looked completely harmless. When he spotted her at the carnival, he was immediately attracted to her scent. Her blood smelled very different from other people. Elena had been keeping all of the supernatural business away from her, worried that it would scare Riley. According to Stefan, it led to very tense moments where they would struggle to change the conversation from vampires and werewolves to something like homework. Damon wondered if Riley actually knew the whole time. He would not be surprised since, like Katherine said, her father was a Gilbert. As they played pool, he continued to watch her, curious about what else she could be hiding…

* * *

**Thanks for reading :)**


	4. Caught In The Middle

Riley and Caroline spent hours at Mystic Grill, playing pool with guys from Whitmore College. The guys had bought them multiple drinks from the bar. One of the guys, Jake, sat Riley on the edge of the pool table. Throughout the night, he had been heavily flirting with her and she did not mind the attention. Caroline was forgetting about what made her upset, returning to her usual perky self. It felt like old times when they would hang out at the restaurant with Elena and Bonnie, gossiping about things like cute boys and incidents at school. During her travels with her parents, she had met many newborn vampires. Most of them would have a complete personality change, becoming far more vicious and emotionless. She was comforted by the fact that Caroline, despite the fangs and thirst for blood, was still the same person. As Riley waited for Caroline to take her shot, Jake tried to convince her to come back to his apartment. She declined the offer since she noticed that Caroline was getting tipsy and should not walk outside alone at night.

"My place is really cool"

"I don't want to leave Caroline"

"She could come too. I don't mind"

He leaned closer, about to kiss her. She stopped him, pushing her hand against his chest.

"Not tonight. Maybe another time when we're a little more sober"

Jake chuckled. "You're a tease. I'll hold you to that. Let me get you another drink"

Caroline stumbled, leaning her arm on the pool table. Riley decided to take her home. She wrote her number down on a napkin and handed it to Jake, who kissed her cheek. Holding onto Caroline, she brought her out of the restaurant and sat in the passenger seat of her car. She drove towards Caroline's house. Caroline hiccuped a couple times. She giggled, covering her mouth.

"I think I'm wasted"

"You definitely are, Care"

After a few minutes, she reached the house. Her mother's car was not the in the driveway, meaning she was still at the police station. Riley was relieved that she would not have to show her Caroline's current state. Putting Caroline's arm around her neck, she helped her into her house and up to her bedroom. Caroline's strong grip caused both of them to fall onto her bed.

"You're such a good friend to me, Riley"

"I wasn't going to ditch you. You, alcohol, and guys is a bad combination"

"I'm glad you're back in Mystic Falls. I don't know how I'd get through this without you"

"Through what?"

Riley watched Caroline struggle to take off her shirt. She was having trouble with the sleeves.

"All these bad things keep happening. I want to tell you but everyone says I can't. They think you'll freak out or you can't handle it but I know you can because you're tough. It would be so much easier if we could just talk about it in front of you instead of making up random conversations all the time"

"Don't worry about it. You should get some sleep, okay? I'll see you tomorrow"

Riley returned to her house, finding papers strewn across the coffee table in the living room. Her mother was prone to staying up very late at night for her archaeological work. With the added stresses of being a professor, she rarely got any sleep except on the weekends. Walking into the living room, Riley picked up one of the papers. She was surprised to see information about vampires. All of the papers dealt with vampire myths. A circle had been drawn around the words _The Originals_. She saw a drawing of a large oak tree with seven stick figures surrounding it. Another circle had been drawn around the fifth stick figure, which had an intertwined moon and sun above its head.

"Riley?"

Her mother was standing in the doorway, holding a cup of coffee. "What are you doing? I thought you were at the Grill"

"Caroline had a little too much to drink so I brought her home. Why do you have your research? I've never seen these papers. Who are the Originals?"

"Nothing important. I must've grabbed those by mistake. When we moved, all of my things got a bit jumbled"

"Does it have to do with the attack in London? You know who attacked me?"

With a heavy sigh, she sat Riley down on the couch. Her mother took the papers from her and began to tell her the myth of the Originals. They were supposedly the first vampires in existence. The Original Witch, who was very powerful, wanted to protect her husband and their five children from the werewolves so she created the spell that turned them immortal. Since nature liked to keep things in balance, the price was the blood lust and weakness to the sun and vervain. The Originals had abilities different from a regular vampire, such as being able to compel other vampires and enhanced strength, healing, and agility. Wooden stakes were not fatal to them and sunlight would merely burn their skin. Her mother told her that there was not much information about them since their existence dates back to a thousand years.

"But you think one of them did it"

"Riley, I don't know anything. The Originals could be purely myth. I was just curious because you mentioned how the stake had little effect on the vampire. Your father says that you just didn't stake him hard enough but I've had my doubts"

"Well vampires had to come from somewhere, right? They didn't just drop out of the sky one day"

"Like I said, the story changes very often. I've just gotten this information over the years, mostly from my father. I want you to put that incident behind you. That man is not going to find you again" she said, reassuringly.

Riley heard a hint of reluctance in her voice. She nodded and left her mother to her work, heading to her room. Sitting on her bed, she drew in her notebook. She had not fallen asleep until half past midnight.

The next morning, Riley was woken up by someone shaking her bed. She opened her eyes slightly, seeing Jayden.

"Wake up, sleepy head"

Ignoring him, she put her pillow over her head. Jayden continued to shake the bed. He tugged hard on her blanket, causing her to fall to the floor. She was still wrapped in her blanket like a little cocoon. Matt and Garrett were standing in the hallway, laughing.

"Come on, lazy. We have volunteering to do, remember?"

"Why does Caroline sign us up for all this stuff? It's not fair" she whined.

"We still have to pick up Ty. Let's go"

"Fine. Get out of my room so I can change"

"We promise not to peek" said Garrett, innocently.

Riley pushed Jayden out of the room and shut the door. She had forgotten that Caroline made her sign up to help with _Mystic Falls Historical Society Volunteer Day._ Caroline caught her off guard at school, asking her while she was busy taking notes in Chemistry. The Fells had donated a large amount of money to expand the town park. Once she got dressed and failed to convince her dad to make her work with him at the hospital, she met the guys outside. They were waiting in Jayden's car. She sat next to Matt, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Is someone hungover from last night? I saw you with those guys when I was picking up my check"

"No. I just don't feel like being up this early. It should be against the law"

He laughed and let her get a few more minutes of rest. Jayden turned around in his seat.

"Go get Ty"

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because it's my car and I said to go do it"

"And you call me lazy. Keep pushing me and I'll tell Alison that you've got a big crush on her"

"Do not even joke about that"

She stuck her tongue out at him and walked over to Tyler's house. Knocking on the door, she was greeted by Mrs. Lockwood.

"It's wonderful that you're volunteering, Riley. Tyler is in his father's study with Mason. I should get going to the park. I'm hosting the event and it will look bad if people get there before me"

Riley entered the study, finding Mason and Tyler near the hidden safe. The safe was open and Mason was taking out the papers and old photos. She listened to their conversation, hiding behind the wall. They were talking about the moonstone. Mason claimed that he wanted it for sentimental value. Tyler did not believe him and asked for the real reason. She knocked on the door. Both of them glanced up and Tyler smiled at her.

"Hey Riley. What are you doing here?"

"We signed up to help your mom with the park today. The guys are waiting outside. They sent me to come get you"

"Oh yea, the—I actually think I'm going to skip it. Cover for me if my mom asks where I am?"

"Sure. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yea. I'm just not in a volunteering mood right now"

"I wonder if it's true about her"

"If what's true?" she asked Mason.

Mason looked at her, surprised. It was as if he had not expected her to hear him. He passed it off as him just thinking out loud. When he offered to drive her to the park, she told him that Jayden was taking her. He shut the safe and placed the carpet over it.

"I'll see you there. Feel better, Ty"

As Mason left the study, giving her a quick smile, she walked over to Tyler. She sat on the floor with him.

"I know you're not sick. What's up?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you"

"Try me, Lockwood. The guys won't mind being late to volunteer"

"Do you believe in supernatural stuff? You know, weird monsters?"

"Pretty sure I dated a few"

"I'm serious, Ri. Look, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Pinky swear?"

"If we're doing that, it is serious. What's going on?"

Tyler locked the door to the study. Lowering his voice, he admitted to her about being a werewolf. Riley pretended to be surprised. He explained the curse to her and how it was triggered by killing a person. The curse was the reason for his anger issues. Tyler felt unsure if Mason really came back for him or just for the moonstone. He was also worried about triggering the curse and having to shift into a wolf on every full moon. From Mason's description of the transformation, it sounded very painful.

"That's really intense"

"You are taking this a lot better than I expected. I thought you'd call me crazy"

"I'm open-minded. Why would you lie about something like this, Ty? Do you still have the moonstone?"

"Yea, I hid it. I'm not giving it to Mason until I'm sure I can trust him"

"I should get going before Caroline bites my head off. I'll meet you here after the volunteer thing"

She hugged him. "Everything will be okay, Ty. I've got your back"

Riley returned to the car and lied that Tyler was feeling ill. Garrett muttered that he was lucky for getting out of the event. Jayden drove them down to the park. It was already packed with people from the town. Everyone was put to work, carrying boxes, painting, mowing the grass, and selling food and drinks. Sheriff Forbes walked over to them.

"Here are my big, strong helpers"

"Oh no, I don't like the sound of that" said Matt.

"Who said she was talking about you, chicken legs? Liz obviously meant me"

Matt pushed her shoulder, shooting her a playful glare. Liz sent them over to the new playground to help set up the equipment. Riley was assigned to paint with Elena and Caroline. She grabbed a bucket of paint and a brush from a nearby truck. Walking around the park, she spotted Elena and Stefan having a tense conversation. It seemed that they really had broken up last night. Caroline was nearby, painting a gazebo while Damon stood next to her. Riley rolled her eyes and walked over to the gazebo.

"Here you are. Why are you so late?"

"Relax, Care, it's only ten minutes. I think the park will still look nice"

She started to paint one of the wooden columns. Damon moved beside her.

"Hello my favorite little Gilbert"

"Stalker" she retorted, making him smirk.

"You are looking lovely today"

"Is that the best you've got, Damon? Disappointing"

"Could I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"That's not happening, Damon. We're busy" replied Caroline.

"It's only for a minute. I'll be gentle with her"

Damon grabbed Riley by the waist, slinging her over his shoulder. Riley beat on his back with her fists. He chuckled, joking that she gave a good massage. She noticed Elena's eyes widen, seeing Damon walking across the park as Riley kept hitting him. When he reached the lake, he put her down on the ground.

She crossed her arms. "What is this? Because Elena shot you down, you're going to go after the next Gilbert? You'd have a better shot of hooking up with Jeremy"

"I have no feelings for Elena"

"Sure. I'll pretend to believe that. Caroline's told me all the gossip to catch me up on what I've missed over the years"

"I wanted to have a little chat. Katherine said you really did some damage"

"I don't know a Katherine"

"She's the little vampire you beat up outside the Mystic Grill last night"

Stefan ran over to them. He pushed Damon angrily, telling him to not be reckless.

"Calm down, Stef. Mini Gilbert, you can drop the little innocent routine. I know that you know about us"

"What makes you so sure?"

"You weren't very subtle at the barbecue with your vampire bats during pictionary"

"Well you weren't subtle with your wolf references towards Mason Lockwood"

"You know about the Lockwoods?" asked Stefan, taken aback.

Riley explained that her parents told her everything about the supernatural world at just five years old. She was aware of the Lockwoods being werewolves and the Bennetts being witches. Her parents taught her how to spot vampires in an instant and how to fight them. She assumed that Katherine and Elena were doppelgangers, which explained why Katherine looked very much like her cousin. Stefan and even Damon looked shocked that she knew so much, including the sun and moon curse.

"Do you seriously think I've never met any supernaturals outside of Mystic Falls? By the way, you guys suck at pretending to be talking about some random thing when I just happen to walk into a room"

"If you knew, why did you never tell Elena or Jeremy?"

"Because they wouldn't be able to handle it when they were that young. You can't just bring it up in a conversation. My dad said that my uncle would tell them when he felt the time was right. I'm not scared of either of you, Stefan. I can tell that you don't even drink human blood so you're not that strong and I'm pretty sure if I held up a mirror to Damon, he'd get distracted by it because he's narcissistic"

Damon smiled. "See, we need her in our little gang. I can't be the one making the funny jokes all the time. It gets tiring after awhile"

"Damon, Riley is not getting involved"

"By definition of being a Gilbert and knowing about us, she is involved. She's close with the Lockwoods. Maybe she can help us with our little Mason problem"

"I'm not helping you with anything. Stop bugging me. If you keep it up, you'll find out just how good I am at killing vampires and trust me, I can make anything look like an accident"

Riley returned to the gazeo to help Elena and Caroline. Both of them looked extremely worried. She assured them Damon was just attempting to flirt with her. Elena told her that if he got too rough, Stefan would handle him. As they finished painting, Mrs. Lockwood asked Riley to help with the lemonade stand. As she walked over to the stand, she saw Damon and Mason in front of it. There was a lot of tension between them. She had one of the little girls get more cups.

"Riley, we keep bumping into each other. This is clearly fate" said Damon.

"Or you don't know when to take a hint"

"I was just talking to my good buddy Mason here"

"You have a good day, Damon. Riley, could you help me in the woods?"

"Yea, I'll just get someone to take my place. I'll meet you there in like five minutes"

Great"

Mason headed into the woods. Riley poured lemonade into the cups. She thought that it smelled weird. Stefan and Damon were talking about the breakup with Elena. Damon believed it was just a ruse. One of the girls handed Damon a cup. Riley spilled lemonade on her hand. As she wiped it with a napkin, she recognized the smell.

"Damon, wait"

He had already drank the lemonade and began to choke. Stefan sat him down at a table. The girls looked worried but Riley lied that he was fine. She grabbed a water bottle and handed it to Damon. He took a small sip.

"It was Mason. I'm going to kill him"

Stefan forced him to stay at the table. Riley glanced around the park. Everyone was drinking the lemonade happily. Since only Damon had been affected, it made sense that someone spiked the drinks with vervain.

"Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine, Riley. Thanks for the water"

"I'm supposed to meet Mason. I'll go see if he has vervain on him. It could have been anyone on the council who did it"

Riley had Jayden take her spot at the lemonade stand. She went into the woods, looking for Mason. He was in a small clearing, carrying trash bins.

"Hey Riley. I'm glad you came to help. I thought this would be a little more fun than helping to sell lemonade"

"No problem. Just tell me what to do"

"It's clean up. Put the leaves and branches in the bins"

She walked around the clearing, picking up fallen branches. As she turned to throw it into a trash bin, she bumped into Mason. He peered down at her.

"I need to draw them out, Riley. They can't keep hiding. They're too dangerous for this town"

"Draw what out?" she asked, confused.

"I think you know. You were pretty chummy with the Salvatores earlier. I saw you three talking by the lake"

"That was nothing, Mason. Damon likes to flirt and he was trying to get me alone. I didn't really fall for his charm"

"You know the truth about them…about my family. My brother was furious when he heard that your parents told you everything. I even overheard the last council meeting that your parents attended before you left town. It was one big argument"

"I'm going to go back down to the park. This is a little too dirty for me"

Mason grabbed her wrist roughly. She winced, struggling against his grip. He lifted her up, carrying her through the woods.

"Mason, let go of me!"

"Do you want to know what else I heard that night? I heard that your blood is like catnip for vampires. They can smell it on you right away and they can't help but want it. Is that true?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mason. Put me down! I'll scream"

"No one will hear you. I'm sorry, Riley, but you're my best shot at getting rid of the Salvatores. I need them out of the way. After they're dead, I'll take you to a hospital, okay? You can trust me"

She continued to struggle as he pinned her against a tree. Her eyes widened when she felt something sharp pierce her stomach. Mason covered her mouth to keep her quiet. He pulled out a bloody knife and stabbed her multiple times. She was fading in and out of consciousness. Before she fainted from the blood loss, she saw two blurs moving through the trees.

Riley woke up, feeling very dizzy. She was no longer in the woods, now sitting in a hospital bed. Her stomach wounds had been sealed with stitches. Her head hit the pillow as she was tackled by multiple people. Elena, Jeremy, and Caroline were hugging her.

"Riley, we were so worried. We didn't know if you were going to make it" said Elena.

"What happened?"

"Mason was using you to get to Damon and Stefan. It was a trap so that Caroline's mom and some of the deputies could shoot them with wooden bullets. Mason lied that you were a vampire too so they'd kill you but Caroline saved all three of you"

"A vampire?"

Elena sat beside her on the bed. "We know that you know, Riley. Damon told us and he assured Caroline's mom that you are not a vampire. I'm sorry that we kept it from you"

"I get it. I kept that secret from you for years"

Caroline told her proudly that she had beat up Mason in the woods. When her parents entered the room, Elena and Caroline promised to see her later. They were going to the Salvatore boardinghouse. Jeremy had to return home due to his curfew set by Jenna.

"How are you feeling, scamp?" asked her father.

"Fine. My head's a little dizzy but I'll live"

"You're lucky they got you here in time. You were bleeding very badly. Who attacked you?"

"Mason. He was using me to get Damon and Stefan"

"Why would he use you?"

Riley remembered what Mason said about the council meeting. Her parents had gone to a meeting the night before they moved from Mystic Falls. When she asked them about it, they said it was just to say goodbye to them.

"I think you know that answer"

"What does that mean?"

"Mason said that he was listening to your last council meeting before we left town. You were talking about me…about my blood"

"Riley, that's not true. Mason wasn't thinking clearly. He would say anything to confuse you"

"Are you lying to me?"

"We would never lie to you" said her mother.

"Then be honest with me. He could have used anyone's blood to lure them into the woods but he used mine because he said it would attract them faster. Why would he think that?"

She stared at her parents, waiting for an answer. Her father suggested that Mason was desperate to get rid of vampires. He pointed out that the feud between werewolves and vampires made both sides paranoid at times. It did not even answer her question.

"Whatever Mason told you was just to distract you, Riley. I wish we could get some justice for what he did to you but the council won't believe three teenage girls. Just forget it"

Her fists clenched. "That's your solution to everything, isn't it? Just forget it. When I was attacked in France, you said to just drop it and put it behind me. You keep avoiding it everytime I bring it up in a conversation. Just tell me the truth. Was Mason really lying?"

"Riley"

She got out of bed and grabbed her car keys off of the side table. "Nevermind. Follow your own advice…just forget it"

"Where are you going? You're in no condition to"

"I feel fine, Dad. I'm going out. I'll be back when I feel like it"

Leaving the hospital, she found her car and drove to the boardinghouse. She knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing Damon.

"You heal quickly. Maybe you are part vampire" he joked.

She grabbed a sharp rock on the ground. Moving the rock across her palm, she cut herself. Damon stepped back.

"What are you doing? Are you loopy from your meds?"

"What does it smell like? Tell me"

"Riley"

Veins appeared under his eyes. He took deep breaths. She kept the door open with her foot. The veins slowly vanished, giving him his normal appearance.

"Tell me what my blood smells like"

"It's very sweet. It's like honey and—it's hard to describe, okay? When I'm close to you, it takes every bit of control in me not to want to taste it. That's why Stefan and I were watching you at the carnival. We never smelled anything like it. Neither of us would hurt you, Riley. Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"Because right now, my parents are keeping something from me and I don't want to hear bullshit. You seem like the honest type…plus Caroline mentioned last night that you have good whiskey"

Damon let her into the house. She followed him into the living room and sat on the couch. He poured two glasses of whiskey and handed one to her.

"I wouldn't worry about your parents. It's in the job description for parents to keep things from their kids"

"Today made me realize exactly why I used to hate this town sometimes. Everyone has their secrets and it's full of lies. You're on the council, aren't you?"

"Carol is letting me run it. It's good for knowing when they're planning something against vampires"

"Tyler and I always used to sneak in after the meetings at his house. His dad kept a record of what they talked about at every meeting in these little notebooks. Could you find them and see if I was ever mentioned at a meeting?"

"And what do I get for this little favor? Maybe a little late night fun?"

Riley moved onto his lap. She unbuttoned the top buttons on his shirt and leaned closer, their noses touching lightly.

"You wish you could be that lucky"

He smirked when she returned to her spot on the couch. She offered that if he helped her, she would owe him a favor.

"You've got a deal, mini Gilbert. You are the partner in crime that I've been needing here"

Riley spent the night at the boardinghouse, drinking whiskey and talking with Damon…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. For the pairings in this story, it is going to be Riley/Elijah and Riley/Klaus. The relationship between her and Damon will be more of a close friends/drinking buddy kind of thing. Promise to update soon :)**


	5. Dealing with Mason

After the incident with Mason in the woods and the fight with her parents, Riley spent the next three days at the boardinghouse. She skipped school, claiming that she needed rest for her wounds. One of the deputies had made up a story that she was attacked in the woods by a wild animal. No one in town questioned it, remembering the animal attacks earlier in the year. She did not want to face her parents, still angry with them about keeping secrets from her. While Caroline was at school, Riley would watch over her mother, giving her meals and attempting to help her see that her daughter was no different. Her mother proved difficult to persuade since she had years of vampire prejudice put in her head by her own parents. When she was not taking care of her, Riley was getting to know Damon and Stefan better. She warmed up to Stefan, seeing how much he loved Elena and learning about his struggles with drinking human blood. Her friends were more surprised by her friendship with Damon.

She had to admit that they were very much alike in personality and sense of humor. They bonded so quickly that it felt like they knew each other for years instead of a few days. Elena disapproved of their close friendship, warning Riley that Damon used people for his own benefit. She had been so determined to break them up that she told Riley's father that she had been living at the boardinghouse. Just hearing that Riley was alone with two vampires sent her parents into a panic. It led to a small argument late last night where Riley refused to let him into the house or speak with him outside. She was annoyed that Elena would go behind her back, especially after Riley insisted her that the issue was between her and her parents. Deep down, she knew that Elena had good intentions but she was too stubborn to talk about it with her.

Riley was laying on a couch in the living room, doing her calculus homework. Damon entered the room, carrying a cardboard box. He looked at the calculus book on her lap and shook his head.

"What a waste of time. Who needs math?"

"Its only purpose is to torture kids in school by being impossible and complicated. What's in the box?"

"Council records that contain notes from every meeting held in the past twenty years. I told Carol that I wanted to brush up on some vampire history and thought the records would give me some insight"

She tossed her book aside, taking the box from him. Doing math problems was the last thing on her mind. As she sifted through the stack of dusty journals, which were filled with dates and notes on supernatural attacks, she heard a knock on the door. Damon left to answer it. Riley hoped that her father had not come for another visit. She started to look at journals with dates that ranged from her year of birth to the current week. Her name was mentioned during a meeting that occurred a few days after she was born, circled in red marker. She grabbed her notebook and copied down the date for future reference. Reading the other journals, she found an interesting connection. On every meeting that happened within a week after her birthday, up to her fifth birthday, she was mentioned in the notes. Hearing Damon return to the room, she glanced up and saw Jeremy.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping Damon. I know that you and Elena don't want me involved but by definition of being a Gilbert, I am involved in this mess. I told Damon that Mason is looking for a moonstone"

"I knew that already. It's connected to werewolves. Tyler has it"

Damon crossed his arms. "How long have you known about that?"

"Since my first night back"

"Didn't bother to tell me about it?"

"Kind of busy trying to keep Caroline's mom from just running out of here and telling everyone that you and Stefan are vampires"

"Well I'm calling Ric to get Isobel's research. You two behave"

Jeremy sat beside her on the couch. He looked at her with a concerned expression as if she was about to jump off of the Wickery bridge to her death.

"Stop staring at me like a wounded puppy, Jer"

"Your parents are really worried about you. They stopped by last night, asking Elena how you were doing since you're ignoring their calls. Are you ever going home?"

"When they stop lying to me. Considering these old notes, I don't think that's happening soon"

"Well you could stay with us. Jenna wouldn't mind. Elena and I don't usually see eye to eye but on this, I have to kind of agree that it isn't safe. Damon's not exactly the person to go when you're in a bad mood"

"I heard that" she heard Damon say from the hallway.

Riley assured Jeremy that she was in no danger at the boardinghouse. She and Caroline had been keeping each other company at night, bonding over the problems with their parents. He questioned her about the journals. She pointed out her name being mentioned at least once during a meeting close to her birthday. The journal that corresponded to her being five years old had the most notes. Mr. Lockwood, who was the writer of these records, was furious about her parents' decision to tell her about the supernatural world. He had written that he would have deputies keep an eye on Riley to ensure she did not blab these secrets to her friends. While they waited for Alaric, Jeremy helped her with the journals. She noticed that after her fifth birthday, her name popped up more frequently.

"Ri, what happened with Mr. Tanner in 3rd grade? You're both mentioned in a meeting right before Christmas and Tyler's dad drew an arrow from you to him"

"I don't—I think I remember him going to the hospital for a concussion. It happened during recess. He was blaming me and Jayden for this prank that we didn't even do and a tree branch fell and knocked him pretty bad in the head. I was so mad at him that I didn't even care. He was out for like a week"

"Why would the council talk about him getting hit by a branch?"

"No idea. Does it mention Jay too?"

"No, just you. There are a lot more incidents too. It's like they think you caused all of them. The last time you're mentioned in this one is right before you moved. There were suspected vampires in the town and...Mr. Lockwood wanted some of your blood. He doesn't say why but it's weird"

Riley could not remember vampire attacks occurring before their move from Mystic Falls. She wrote all of it down in her notebook. The only other mention of her was in a more recent journal. Her name was mentioned a dozen times on the night that she returned to town. Damon waited for Alaric, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"Have you heard them talk about me?" she asked.

"I haven't been to any of the recent meetings. I know when John stopped by to help with the tomb vampires, he was having a pretty tense conversation with Liz and he said your name. Liz got pretty pissed at him"

He glanced at the notebook, which had been filled with two pages of notes from the journals.

"Hmm, I take it that you're still mad at mommy and daddy Gilbert"

"Mad doesn't even begin to describe it. Mason was right that the council talked about me at the last meeting before our move"

Alaric interrupted the conversation, entering the room with a box. He did not look pleased to see Jeremy and Riley at the boardinghouse. Jeremy explained that he wanted to help and had been the person to tell Damon about the moonstone. Riley merely shrugged and told him that she was resting from her injuries.

"Your parents have been worried sick. Do you know that?"

"He's trying to make me feel bad, right?" she asked Damon.

He nodded. "It's him being the adult"

"Riley, you should at least talk to them. Whatever is going on won't be fixed by hiding out here"

"Fine, I'll go see them tonight. Can we focus on the bigger problem right now?"

Alaric showed them his ex-wife Isobel's research. She had all kinds of information on vampires and werewolves. The moonstone was used to bind the werewolf side of the sun and moon curse, meaning that it could be used to break the curse and allow werewolves to transform at will. He suggested that Mason wanted the moonstone for that purpose.

"Who has the stone now?"

"Tyler" said Jeremy.

"Can you get it?"

"Yea"

"See? Now your life has purpose"

Damon was not going to take the curse likely since the research had evidence of werewolf bites being lethal to vampires. They planned to get the moonstone from Tyler before Mason found it. Riley drove them to the Lockwood mansion in her car. Everyone was busy setting up for the annual masquerade ball. Elena carried a box of masks and Damon snuck up on her. After exchanging a few words, he went to find Stefan. Riley spotted Tyler putting up paper lanterns with Matt. Before she could bring Jeremy over to them, Elena blocked their path. She crossed her arms, shooting them both a disapproving look, and questioned Jeremy about his involvement with Damon.

"There is no Damon and you. There's Damon and whoever Damon is using…and those people end up dead. Whatever is going on, Jeremy, I want you to stay out of it"

"I don't really care what you want. I'm in this mess because of you"

"Riley, please don't get involved. I know you're mad at me for telling your dad about you staying at the boardinghouse but I"

"I'm not mad at you. I get why you did it but it wasn't necessary. It's between me and them. Jeremy is fine. I'll make sure he stays okay"

"But"

Riley grabbed Jeremy's arm, taking him outside the mansion. Tyler was under a tent, setting up tables with silverware and fancy napkins. When Tyler saw her, he lifted her up in a hug.

"Ri, here you are. You haven't been answering my texts or calls. How are you doing since the animal attack?"

"I'm feeling better. I should be good to go to school tomorrow. Listen, Jer and I did some research on that moonstone. It might be part of some weird Aztec legend but we're not sure. Could I have it and I'll give it back to you later?"

Tyler apologized to her, admitting that he gave the stone to Mason. He did not want any part of the werewolf curse. Damon and Stefan were watching their conversation. She was sure that they heard every word.

"Want to help me with these tables?"

"We actually have to help Elena. Maybe later" said Jeremy.

As they returned to the mansion, she handed her keys to Jeremy. She told him to return to the boardinghouse. Jeremy began to protest until he saw the small glare on her face. She promised to call him with any news and searched for Damon. He was talking with Stefan and Bonnie. She hurried over to them, worried that Damon and Bonnie would get into a fight.

"Here you are, shorty. Where's the other Gilbert?"

"Back at the boardinghouse. What's going on?"

"Tell her" he said to Bonnie.

Bonnie informed her that she had a vision when bumping into Mason. She saw him and Elena kissing but it was actually Katherine. They figured out that Mason was working with her to get the moonstone. She did not understand why Katherine would want to break the werewolf part of the curse. Elena constantly called Stefan, wanting answers. He walked away, leaving Riley to handle Damon and Bonnie by herself. Damon wanted Bonnie to touch Mason again to see if he handed the moonstone to Katherine. She argued that her visions were not that simple. He asked her about magic she used on him at the carnival. It made him feel like his brain was on fire. She said that the spell gave him an aneurysm and it would work on anyone with a fast healing ability.

"We could use that. Werewolves heal quickly" suggested Riley.

"I'm not going to help you hurt him"

"Mason and Katherine are the enemies here. Don't go all morality police on me. Let me put it this way. They're a threat to Elena so you are going to get over yourself and help us"

Riley nudged his side. "I'll translate for you. He meant that as a question as in…please help?"

"Riley, I don't"

She pouted, making puppy eyes at Bonnie. After a few seconds, Bonnie groaned, unable to resist it.

"I hate that thing. Fine, I'll help you get Mason back to the boarding house and figure out where he has the moonstone"

Riley devised a plan to get Mason. She and Bonnie pretended to move a large table from the back of a truck while Damon waited behind a tree.

"How can you trust him?" whispered Bonnie.

"Well Damon isn't the one who stabbed me a dozen times and left me for dead. Bonnie, you know I don't trust just anyone. If I can give Damon the Riley Gilbert stamp of approval, you can give him a chance too"

"You haven't been around for all the trouble he's caused"

Mason was leaving the mansion. He chuckled, seeing Riley struggle with the table.

"How did you get stuck with this, munchkin?"

"All the guys bailed. Something about draft picks" lied Bonnie.

"Let me help. You shouldn't be doing this, especially you, Riley. How are you feeling since that animal attack?"

Riley's fists clenched against the table, wanting to bash him in the face. Mason seemed to think that she was compelled to forget about the incident in the woods. She feigned a smile, acting like she could barely remember what happened that day. As he grabbed the table, Bonnie used her magic to hurt his head. He fell to his knees in pain. Riley hit him over the head with a candlestick, knocking him unconscious. Damon placed him in the back of Mason's truck and they drove back to the boardinghouse. Riley and Bonnie laid down a tarp on the living room carpet. Mason was placed in a chair and while Damon chained him down, Bonnie placed her hands on either side of his head, searching for information on the moonstone. She eventually saw a well. Mason, still unconscious, grabbed Bonnie's wrist. Riley smacked it away.

"There's a well on the edge of the old Lockwood property in the woods"

"Are you coming with me?"

"I'll stay here to make sure Damon doesn't do something stupid"

"Be careful"

Riley and Damon waited for Mason to wake up, going over questions to ask him. She could not help smiling when she saw Bonnie leave the house with Caroline. Ever since Caroline's transformation, Bonnie had been avoiding her and Riley hoped that this was a start to repairing their friendship. Damon heated a fire iron in the fireplace. Mason began to stir, immediately struggling against the chains. He looked between Riley and Damon.

"Riley, what are you doing?"

"You're not the one asking questions today, Mason. Just sit there like a good boy and everything will be fine"

Damon stuck the poker into his chest. Mason cried out in pain. Within a few seconds, the wound healed.

"Please untie me. Riley, don't let him do this…you know me. I was your babysitter. I care about you. We're friends"

She crossed her arms. "Really? I guess I have the wrong idea because I've never heard of friends stabbing each other. Is this some special friendship thing?"

"I was going to take you to the hospital"

"Don't lie. You told Liz that I was a vampire…you were going to let me die, Mason. I am the last person to ask for help. You're working with someone who wants to hurt my cousin. You are right about one thing. We know each other well and you know that I will always protect my family"

Mason refused to give them any answers. As they questioned him, Damon would hurt him with the iron. They used a good cop/bad cop act with him where Riley acted sweet and Damon was more violent with his questions. Mason kept trying to plead with Riley, assuring her that he cared about her. Jeremy showed them sprigs of wolfsbane in the box containing Isobel's research. Searching the plant on the internet, he found out that it could be toxic to werewolves. Damon shoved a handful into Mason's mouth. Mason spit it out, blood dripping from his mouth. He told them that he was getting the moonstone for Katherine so he would no longer need to turn on the full moon. Riley rolled her eyes when he insisted that Katherine loved him. She was not surprised that Mason fell for her charms. From what Damon said about her, Katherine was very manipulative.

"I'm done talking"

"Yes, you are. Time to take a walk, Jeremy"

"I'm staying. He's had enough"

Mason begged Jeremy and Riley to help Tyler. He seemed to realize how this situation would end for him. Jeremy was about to ask Damon to let him leave the boardinghouse. Damon moved in front of Jeremy, gripping his neck.

"Damon" said Riley, warningly.

"Riley, please. Just let me go" whispered Mason.

She walked over to him, holding onto the wolfsbane. "Tell me the truth. Were you planning for me to die that day in the woods?"

"Y—yes"

"Why? What did I ever do to you?"

"K—Katherine saw you as a threat and I couldn't let you get involved in this. I needed Liz to see how dangerous the Salvatores were and if she saw them feeding off of you, she'd definitely kill them. I—I'm sorry"

Her eyes narrowed. Riley was furious that Mason would choose some vampire that he met a few months ago over her, a girl who he had known since she could barely say one word. She imagined herself setting him on fire. Suddenly, flames shot out from the fireplace. She ducked out of the way and watched the flames burn his face. Mason screamed, nearly toppling the chair to the floor. She glanced around the room, checking for Bonnie to see if she had used her magic. Damon returned to Mason while Jeremy left the room.

"You know, I look at you and I see myself…a less dashing, less intelligent version"

"I love her" replied Mason, tears in his eyes.

"Oh, I know. I've been where you are. Katherine will only rip your heart out. Let me do it for her"

Damon reached into his chest and pulled out his heart. He tossed it onto the floor. Riley received a text from Caroline, telling her that they found the moonstone.

"They got the moonstone from the well. I'm taking Jeremy home then I'm going to my house"

"Hey, be careful. Katherine could be anywhere. Stefan and I will take care of the lone wolf here"

She put a couple council journals into her bag and left the boardinghouse. Jeremy was sitting on the ground, looking anxious.

"Did he"

"Yea. Let's get you home. Don't tell Elena that you were here for…any of this. You tell her that I took you to the grill"

They got into Riley's car and she drove him home. After giving him a quick hug, she returned to her own house. Her parents were in the kitchen, making dinner. Seeing her, her mother dropped the salad bowl.

"Riley, are you all right? We've been"

"Yea, worried…I've heard. I'm not staying unless you tell me the truth"

She took out her notebook, showing the notes from the journals. "What is this?" asked her father.

"Every single mention of me at a council meeting. Why were you talking about me?"

"Riley, how did you—Damon gave you the records, didn't he?"

"Answer my question. Why were you talking about me so much? You have my name with all these weird incidents that happened when I was little. Do you seriously think I caused them?"

Her father made her sit down at the counter. He explained that other council members, including Mr. Lockwood, thought she had been involved in the incidents. The one common connection between all of them was Riley, whether she was there or had an argument with that person before anything happened to them.

"You believe them?"

"Of course not. We defended you countless times. It's why we left Mystic Falls. Some of the council thought there was something—wrong with you. They were just being paranoid"

"What if there is something wrong?"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "There isn't, Riley. When we were leaving, there was a lot of turmoil on the council. Richard asked to have samples of your blood to handle a vampire blood. One of the vampires had sniffed you out and asked for you in order to leave the town. Richard was going to make that deal but we couldn't let him do that. You're our daughter. That's why we left Mystic Falls. I wish I could tell you why vampires seem to get so attracted to your blood but in all honesty, I don't know. If I did, I would tell you"

"Does the council still think I'm...dangerous?"

"No. When we went to our first meeting after returning, we told them straight away that if any of them harmed you, they would deal with us. If any of them harass you, you need to tell us. We'll always protect you"

Her mother offered her dinner. Riley shook her head, wanting to get rest after such a long day. She went up to her room and sat on the floor. Popping open one of the floorboards, she found a stash of her grandfather's belongings. She took out a small lighter. Flipping it open, she watched the flame. She closed her eyes tightly and felt something warm on her skin. The flame had transferred to her palm. She closed her hand, seeing the flame extinguish into thin air. For the rest of the night, she kept playing with the lighter…

* * *

**Thanks for reading :)**


	6. Masquerades and Kidnappings

Damon's decision to kill Mason caused more harm than good. When Katherine learned about Mason's demise, she activated her backup plan, which involved Jenna. Katherine had compelled Jenna some time earlier to prove that she could be a dangerous enemy and it led to Jenna stabbing herself with a knife. Jenna survived the attack yet it taught Riley and the others a valuable lesson that they needed to get rid of Katherine before she killed more people in Mystic Falls. They decided to keep Elena out of any of their plans. While they figured out a way to kill Katherine, Riley was slowly repairing her relationship with her parents. They promised no more secrets from her, ensuring her that the council meetings would never mention her again. She was now the one keeping secrets from them, not telling anyone about what happened with the fire. After a night of playing with the lighter, moving flames onto her hand but experiencing no pain, she could not be in denial for long, knowing that she had caused the flames in the fireplace to hurt Mason.

When she looked back at the notes from the council records, she was able to remember that during some of those incidents, she had been feeling very angry or upset, whether with a person or a situation. Her first thought was that she could be a witch like Bonnie. That theory got torn apart by the fact that she had no witch descendants on either side of her family. She resorted to spending time in the school library during lunch, researching for any possible explanations.

Riley was in her chemistry class, doing an experiment with Jayden. Most people were not paying attention to the lesson, their minds on the masquerade ball tonight at the Lockwood mansion. Since it had been announced, she was frequently asked by guys to be their date. She turned down all of their offers, something that Caroline yelled at her for earlier in the day. Caroline did not understand how Riley could reject them. In all honesty, Riley liked the guys in Mystic Falls as friends but felt no other attraction. Most of them were too stupid to tell left from right and treated a date with a girl as some sort of game. In the few short weeks she had been in Mystic Falls, she learned that some guys in her grade had a competition to hook up with girls, gaining points based on the girl's looks. She had been dreading the day when Cameron would ask her to the ball. To avoid the inevitable conversation, she had mapped out his daily routine and purposely made sure that they never crossed paths. During school, it was difficult since they shared every class together but she used Jayden as a shield.

She wrote down her observations of the chemical reaction in the beaker. Jayden faced her, not wanting to make eye contact with Alison who made it her personal mission to get him as her date. Alison, along with her lapdogs, had been asking him every day. Similar to Cameron, her annoying stepbrother, she did not understand the meaning of rejection. Alison was staring at him intently, waiting for him to look at her.

"Is she looking?"

"She's been staring at you the entire class, Jay"

"This is all your fault. Once you left, no one was there to keep her away from me. How many times does she have to hear no?"

"Maybe you need to learn to speak dog first so you speak the same language"

With ten minutes left in class, Mr. Barton, the chemistry teacher, asked them to pour the solution into the disposal container and clean up all of the materials. Riley grabbed the beaker and moved to the end of the line, behind Bonnie. As they waited to dump out the beakers, they talked about the masquerade ball. Bonnie was perfectly fine that, like Riley, she had no date. An arm wrapped around her waist and she groaned, immediately knowing it belonged to Cameron.

"Here's my girl"

"I don't see her anywhere. Is she imaginary like your other friends?"

"You're funny, Ri. So the masquerade ball is tonight. I hear you don't have a date. It's obvious that you've just been waiting for me to ask you"

"I'm sure that makes perfect sense in your delusional mind"

"Cameron, can you go bother someone else? Riley has no interest in you" said Bonnie, annoyed.

He ignored Bonnie, all of his attention on Riley. She pushed him off of her and dumped the contents of her beaker, quickly returning to her desk. Jayden was placing her notebook into her bag.

"We would have a lot of fun together, Ri. Be my date"

"Not even if you were the last guy on Earth"

"So you'd rather go alone? That's sad"

Before she could retort, Jayden interrupted her, grabbing her hand. She hid her surprise when he claimed that they would be going together to the ball. Anger flashed through Cameron's eyes. Even when they were younger, he was envious of Jayden and Riley's close friendship. Like many others, he suspected that they had secret crushes on each other.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Cam"

"Why would you take her? You told me that you weren't into her"

"We're going as friends. Back off"

Cameron glared slightly and returned to his desk. His anger was nothing compared to Alison's. She seemed to have overheard their conversation and was now shooting death glares at Riley. A small part of her expected Alison to run at her and snap her in half like a twig. Instead of physical violence, Alison resorted to trashing Riley to her friends.

"Jay, why did you say that?"

"It solved both of our problems. Cameron will leave you alone and Alison will stop asking me. Besides, it's not like a real date. Like I said, it's us as friends"

Riley hugged him. "You're sweet. Thanks"

"What the hell does he see in that pipsqueak rat?" she heard Alison say at the desk next to them.

"Ignore her, Ri"

"I bet Jayden just pities her. Who would ever want to date a loser like her?"

Her fists clenched. Suddenly, Alison and Emma's beaker exploded, sending glass everywhere. Jayden and Riley ducked to the floor and he covered her with his jacket. The gas burner was emitting a large flame. Mr. Barton rushed over to their desk and became confused when the burner had been off the entire time. He doused the flame and checked both girls for any injuries. They had minor scratches from the glass but acted as though they had been stabbed a hundred times. He brought them down to the nurse's office.

"I'm not surprised the burner was faulty. The equipment here was used when our parents were in school" explained Jayden.

They made a short stop at their lockers and left the school. Once Jayden dropped her off at her house, he promised to meet her before the masquerade ball. She entered her house, finding her father in the kitchen. He was reading a newspaper.

"You're out of work early"

"Meredith wanted a few extra hours. We'll be a little late to the Lockwoods. Your mother has a meeting to attend at the college"

"It's okay. I'm going with Jayden. I'll see you there"

Her father looked at her, shocked. "I didn't realize you and Jayden were"

"Dad, we're not dating. That's—we're going together as friends, nothing more. I should get started on my homework"

"I've been meaning to ask you something. You don't seem very hurt for someone who was stabbed multiple times. I'm an excellent doctor but I can't make your injuries heal that fast"

Riley struggled to come up with a cover story. She admitted to her father that Damon had healed her with his blood. Her father was about to lecture her until she explained that it was for her own protection. She lied that Damon did not want Mason to attack her again while she was still recovering for her truth was that he wanted her to be able to protect herself from Katherine. She hurried up to her room to avoid another lecture from him about trusting vampires like Damon. Halfway through her homework, Damon sent her an urgent text, telling her to come to the boardinghouse. She arrived at the boardinghouse within a few minutes. Caroline, Jeremy, Bonnie, Alaric, Stefan, and Damon were in the living room. Alaric was showing them some of his vampire hunting weapons.

"Finally, shorty. Get over here" said Damon.

He caught her up on what happened after school. Caroline went to the grill and had a run-in with Katherine. Cornering Caroline, Katherine threatened that if she did not get the moonstone tonight at the masquerade ball, she would tear the town apart, killing everyone in sight. They planned to kill her by Bonnie trapping her in a room with a spell. Alaric was going to stay with Elena at her house to keep her away from the party. She listened as Alaric showed off a device that ejected multiple stakes.

"Now you want to make sure you get her right in the heart"

"I've had this training talk, Ric. I killed my first vampire when I was nine. I think I'm good"

Damon ruffled her hair. "See, that's the confidence all of you need tonight. That is exactly why Riley is going to help me and Stefan kill her"

"Whoa, wait. How is that safe? Riley's not like you. She can't heal super fast. One neck snap and she's dead" said Caroline, worried.

"Then I won't let her near my neck" replied Riley.

Only Damon seemed comfortable with the idea of Riley helping to stake Katherine. She ignored everyone else's concerns. Katherine was one of the oldest vampires she had met but she had fought with enough of them to know how to handle herself. Stefan made her promise that if things got too rough, she would get out of the room as fast as possible. They spent the next hour, discussing the plan. Caroline assured them that she would not chicken out, wanting revenge for Katherine turning her into a vampire. Bonnie was the only one who appeared to be reluctant.

"Bonnie, you with this?"

Riley gave her a reassuring look. Sighing to herself, Bonnie agreed to help, with the condition that no one else would be harmed tonight. After going over the plan a couple more times, Riley left the boardinghouse with Jeremy, Alaric, Caroline, and Bonnie. Jeremy followed her to her car.

"Ri, are you sure you want to be involved? You could help Ric watch over Elena"

"Jer, I will be fine. Have I ever been the damsel in distress type?"

"No, but Katherine is really dangerous"

"I know that. I'll keep my promise to Stefan. If things get too rough, I'm out of there and I'll meet up with you. I'll see you at the party"

Riley returned to her house. She searched her closet for an outfit, settling on a dark green mini dress that had a layer of black lace over it, a sweetheart neckline, and a satin sash tied around the waist, accentuating her curves. To give her some height, she put on a pair of black heels. As she checked her hair and swiped on lip gloss, she heard a knock at the door. She grabbed her black lace mask and went downstairs. Her father was talking with Jayden, who was dressed in a nice black suit.

"You two have fun. We'll meet you at the party, Riley. Your mother should be home soon" said her father, hugging her.

She left the house with Jayden. They headed towards the Lockwood mansion.

"You uh look great tonight, Ri. N—not that you don't always look…I just meant..."

She giggled. "Thanks, Jay. You look pretty good yourself"

Mrs. Lockwood had spared no expense on the masquerade ball. She even hired performers to juggle and twirl sticks covered with fire. The mansion was already packed and she waved at her friends from school. Jayden offered to get her a drink. She waited for him near the doorway, keeping an eye out for Damon or Stefan. Matt was leading Tyler, Aimee, and Sarah towards Mr. Lockwood's old study.

"Don't you look pretty tonight"

Turning around, she saw Katherine in a black mini dress. She looked exactly like Elena with her straightened hair but Riley could easily tell the difference between them.

"I'd say the same about you but even the best makeup doesn't hide what a psychotic bitch you are"

Katherine smiled. "You amuse me, mini Gilbert. If we weren't on opposing sides, I think we'd be very good friends"

Jayden walked over to them with drinks. "Oh, hey Elena. I didn't think you were coming tonight"

"I decided that I couldn't miss it. I need to go find Stefan. Don't have too much fun"

Katherine gave Riley a subtle wink and disappeared into the crowd. Jayden questioned if Elena and Stefan were back together as a couple. Riley lied like they were working out their problems. For a while, she could enjoy her time at the party. She and Jayden shared a couple dances, having to deal with a few glares from people like Cameron and Alison. He spun her around, nearly knocking her into an elderly couple. Damon interrupted their fun.

"Hey Riley's friend"

"My name's Jayden"

"Cool but I don't care. I need to steal your date for a bit. Is that okay?"

"Um"

"Elena's crying over Stefan upstairs. She needs her cousin to comfort her. Go hang out with your little jock buddies"

Riley told Jayden that she would meet with him after dealing with Elena. She followed Damon up the staircase. Checking her phone, she noticed that Elena left her over a hundred text messages. She had figured out that something was happening at the ball and was driving over to the mansion. Damon informed her that Katherine started her deadly rampage, killing Aimee outside. Stefan had to hide Aimee's body in the trunk of their car. They walked into the parlor room where Stefan was strapping one of the stake devices to his wrist. Riley grabbed a couple stakes and hid her vervain spray in her dress. She received another text from Caroline. Jeremy had just told Katherine that Stefan and Damon wanted to meet her by the lake and Caroline was waiting for Katherine to come to her, asking for the truth. Damon and Riley hid in the closet. He was holding a stake gun.

"You sure that's all you need?" he asked.

"It's all I had when I fought her last time. Don't chicken out on me"

"Not going to happen"

She heard Caroline crying outside the room. The doors burst open and Katherine questioned her about Bonnie. Caroline giggled, dropping her act. Peeking through a crack in the door, Riley saw Katherine get repelled by the invisible shield created by Bonnie's spell. Stefan stepped out from his hiding place.

"You don't really think you can kill me, do you?" she asked him, curiously.

"No"

Riley quietly pushed the door. Damon raised the stake gun.

"But he can"

He shot Katherine in the back. She stumbled forward, holding her hand to the wound. Stefan staked her in the arm but Katherine regained her strength and shoved him. A vicious fight ensued between the four of them. Despite not being a vampire, Riley was able to hold her own against Katherine. Stefan had just dodged a stake thrown by her. Riley kicked her from behind and sprayed the vervain at her eyes. Katherine snarled and lifted her up by her neck.

"That won't work twice, little girl"

She threw Riley across the room. Riley crashed into the wooden table, rolling onto the floor. She held her side, leaning against the broken table for support. There were deep cuts along her arms and legs. Katherine was about to stab Damon with his own stake. Riley jumped onto her back, tugging on her hair. She pressed a stake against Katherine's chest. Katherine grabbed her arm in an attempt to throw Riley off of her. Riley kept her legs wrapped around Katherine's waist, causing both of them to crash to the floor. Riley sprayed her again and kept the stake pressed against her throat. Stefan helped to hold her down. Damon raised his stake to finish her off until Jeremy ran over to the room, telling them to stop because Katherine and Elena had been linked by a spell. The spell caused Elena to get the same injuries. Katherine pushed Riley off of her and stood up, smirking smugly.

"You think you're the only ones with a witch on your side? Wrong. Something tells me that my witch is better than your witch"

"Jeremy, go make sure Elena is okay"

Jeremy nodded and went back downstairs. Katherine pouted.

"Let's all make sure poor Elena is okay"

She dragged a stake across the palm, creating a deep gash. Glaring, Stefan knocked the stake from her hand. Riley sat on the couch, frustrated that Katherine had been one step ahead of them. Katherine took a seat next to her. She did not mind being trapped in the room, using their love for Elena to mock Damon and Stefan.

"What are you going to do, hurt me? Come on, Stefan, everything I feel, Elena feels. Better yet, why don't you kiss me, Damon? I bet she'd feel that too"

"I don't think he'd want the hundreds of STDs crawling in your mouth" replied Riley.

Katherine giggled. "Isn't she adorable?" she asked, poking Riley's nose.

"Just so you know, fingers can be reattached. If you poke me again, I'll bite off that finger with my bare teeth"

"Riley" said Stefan, giving her a warning look.

She crossed her arms, resisting the urge to stake Katherine. Once that spell lifted, nothing would hold her back from completing their plan. Stefan questioned Katherine about her alliance with Mason. Damon sarcastically apologized for Mason's death.

"I'll have to remember that for next time. He's not the only werewolf in town"

"What does that mean?" asked Riley.

"I think you know, mini Gilbert"

Her thoughts immediately went to Tyler. She worried that Katherine planned to get him to activate his werewolf curse. It still made no sense why she needed a werewolf and the moonstone. Riley and Damon were getting impatient, waiting for Bonnie to reverse the linking spell. Stefan continued to ask Katherine about the moonstone. He mentioned that in 1864,she had gave it to Tyler's ancestor George Lockwood in exchange for her freedom. Katherine chastised Damon for ruining her plan to stay hidden because he had been the reason that people learned she was not with the other tomb vampires. Stefan believed that the moonstone was not originally hers. She deflected his questions, flirting with him and telling him that she watched him over the years. Riley scrunched her nose in disgust. Damon decided to pour glasses of whiskey.

"I'll have one of those" said Katherine.

"Right away, Miss Katherine" he replied in a mocking tone.

He handed a glass to Katherine. Riley noticed a stake hidden under his sleeve. A split second later, he had Katherine pressed against the wall, holding the stake inches from her chest. Riley and Stefan rushed over, grabbing onto his arm.

"Damon, don't. The spell isn't lifted yet"

"The second the spell is lifted, I'm going to drive this stake right through your heart"

Katherine smirked, twirling his tie around her hand. "God, you're hot. When did you get so hot?"

Riley kicked him in the shin. He stepped away from Katherine, holding his leg.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Stop being stupid. Go sit down"

"I'm not"

"Did I stutter? Sit"

They were interrupted by a dark-skinned girl in her 20s, who Riley assumed was the other witch. She was holding the moonstone. The last time she saw the moonstone, it had been with Bonnie.

"What did you do to Bonnie?" she asked, angrily.

"Nothing"

Damon held Riley back from hitting her. She did not believe that Bonnie would hand over the moonstone willingly to some stranger. The girl told them that the spell on the room had been lifted.

"When I hand this over, my debt to you is over" she said to Katherine.

"Done"

"I owe you nothing"

"I said done. Give it to me"

When Katherine grabbed the moonstone, she clutched her throat and began to choke. Riley watched as she crumpled to the floor, unconscious. The girl assured them that the linking spell had been lifted and apologized for her involvement tonight. Damon picked up Katherine, deciding to trap her in the tomb under the church. While Stefan looked for Elena outside, Riley walked around the mansion. She spotted Jayden with his football friends.

"Here you are. Is Elena doing okay?"

"No, she's still really upset. I'm sorry that I left earlier. I am a terrible date"

"You're not, Ri. I know that you and Elena are—did you get in a fight? Where did all these cuts and bruises come from?"

"I uh tripped outside"

He looked at her, strangely. "You tripped and got cut this badly?"

"Yea. I should go check on her. I'll see you at school tomorrow, Jay"

Riley pecked him on the cheek and left the mansion. Elena was walking down the driveway. When she caught up to her, Elena hugged her tightly.

"Ri, I was so worried. I can't believe you—don't ever do something like this again"

"I think you got it worse than me, Ellie. Let me drive you home. I think this is a good time for one of our sleepovers"

"We both definitely need it"

As they headed towards Elena's car, a cloth covered Riley's mouth. Riley struggled against the attacker's grip, feeling her vision get blurrier with each passing second. She continued to fight until they banged her head against one of the cars, knocking her out.

Riley woke up on a couch, her vision still a bit blurry. Elena was beside her, unconscious. Both of them had their arms and legs tied with ropes. They were inside of an abandoned, disheveled house. It looked like it had not been inhabited for years. There was dust and grime all over the floor and walls and wooden boards had been placed over the windows. She heard two people arguing in another room. One of them, a man, said that both girls were brought here accidentally but he wanted the small one as a pet. Riley did not to think hard about who he meant by the small one. Seeing a glass shard on the floor, she quietly sat on the floor and reached for the shard. She used it to cut the ropes around her hands and legs. Elena was slowly waking up and Riley started to untie the ropes around her legs.

"I see sleeping beauty is awake"

A man with nearly shoulder-length dark brown hair entered the room. He moved in front of her within a second and Riley was sure that he was a vampire. She tensed up, realizing that she had no stake to use against him.

"You smell very good. Just a taste"

His fangs emerged and he leaned towards her. Riley headbutted him hard. The impact made her fall back on the couch and he held his nose,stumbling backwards. She rubbed her head, wincing in pain. Elena had woken up and looked very nervous. A woman with short, choppy dark brown hair and light green eyes hurried to his side. She told the man, who she called Trevor, to control himself. His hand brushed against Riley's cheek.

"I'll get a taste later"

Riley glared as he left the room. The woman was completely focused on Elena.

"My god, you look just like her"

"B—but I'm not. Please just let us"

"Be quiet"

"But I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert. You don't need to do this" she explained, standing up.

"I know who you are. I said be quiet"

"Elena, just shut up" said Riley, not wanting to anger two vampires.

"What do you want?" asked Elena, confused.

The woman backhanded her, knocking her onto the couch. "I want you to be quiet"

She looked at Riley, who raised her hands as a sign of peace. Once the woman left the room, Riley tried to shake Elena out of her unconscious state. She gave up after a few attempts and walked around the room. The area surrounding the house did not look familiar to her. She was only certain that the vampires had taken them outside of Mystic Falls. Taking a chance, she pressed her hand against one of the wooden boards.

"If there was any time for fire to just magically appear, this is it. Come on"

There was no fire, not even a tiny flame. She sighed, leaning her head against the board.

"Of course not. Why would it work when I really need it to?"

It took hours for Elena to wake up again. Riley removed the ropes around her hands and suggested that they try to get some answers from their captors. Quietly, they walked around the house. She could hear the two vampires arguing about someone named Elijah. Trevor seemed to be worried about Elijah coming to see them. The woman spotted Riley and Elena eavesdropping on their conversation. She threatened them that there was nothing around the house for miles and they would not be leaving anytime soon. Elena questioned her about Elijah.

"He's your worst nightmare"

"You've clearly never seen me when I'm in a really bad mood. I'm getting to that point" countered Riley.

The woman went into another room. Riley pulled Elena along, not satisfied with that answer. She was putting up more wooden boards on the windows to block sunlight. After some pestering, the woman began to answer some questions. She told Elena that she was acting as a delivery service.

"Who's Elijah? I'm guessing he's a vampire"

"He's one of _the _vampires, the Originals"

Riley remembered her mother's research on the Original vampire family. Elena did not understand what she meant by an Original. The woman mocked her for not learning much from the Salvatores. She admitted that a friend of hers tried to set her up with Stefan. Turning towards them, she explained how she and Trevor had been running for 500 years and Elena was going to gain their freedom.

"Why me?"

"Because you're a Petrova doppelganger. You're the key to breaking the curse"

"The sun and moon curse? The moonstone breaks it" said Riley.

"No, the moonstone binds the curse. The sacrifice breaks it…the blood of the doppelganger and your friend here is a doppelganger. To break the curse, she needs to die"

Elena's eyes widened. Riley stared at the floor. She had learned from her parents that the blood of a doppelganger was involved with the curse. At the time, she did not know about Elena being one of them. She kept that part of the curse to herself, not wanting to scare her cousin. Elena asked for more information. Trevor entered the room and picked up a wooden board.

"Who are you running from?"

"The Originals"

"You're talking about the first family of vampires" said Riley.

He smiled. "Beauty and brains, I see. Two points to the little one for knowing her history. Rose and I pissed them off…well, I did and Rose had my back. For over half a millenium, they've been after us"

"And we won't make the same mistake again" said Rose.

Elena was still dealing with this new information about the curse. Riley found Rose and Trevor in an old study. Rose was flipping through some dusty books. Riley snatched a book from her.

"Okay, let's be honest with each other. I know a lot about vampire history. I know about the Originals and the curse. Why do the Originals want to break it? They're not as affected by sunlight and they wear daylight rings anyway. What does breaking it do for them?"

"That's not my concern"

"Meaning you know nothing"

"You're quite pushy"

"I can also be punchy and scratchy. If you don't know that, tell me about Elijah"

"Like I said, he's one of the Originals. You should be very afraid of him. I suggest you stay with your little friend. He'll be here soon"

"I don't care that you've been running from them for centuries. I am not letting you trade my cousin just because your friend made the mistake of trusting Katherine. He'll have to kill me to get to her"

"You think he won't?"

She returned to the room where she and Elena were first held captive. Elena was sitting on the couch, holding a note. The note had been sent by Bonnie through a spell. Damon and Stefan were on their way to the house. She stayed with Elena on the couch, comforting her.

"Do you think that's really true? My blood breaks the curse?"

"Let's not worry about it right now. The important thing is to get out of here. As soon as we're back in Mystic Falls, we'll go to my parents. They have tons of vampire research"

"You already knew about the Originals?"

"Not much. My mom had a few papers. She said they're over 1,000 years old and it's hard to get concrete facts about them. It's always changing. He's not going to hurt you, Elena. We're family and we stick together"

Elena leaned her head on her shoulder. Rose packed her belongings into a duffel bag. There was a knock on the door and Trevor entered the room, panicking. He worried that Elijah would kill him instead of forgiving him. Rose calmed him down, telling him that Elena was more important. Riley felt slightly bad, seeing that they were incredibly close. It reminded her of her friendship with Jayden. If he ever found himself in such a bad situation, she would do anything to help him. Rose left to answer the door while Trevor waited in the room. He was pacing back and forth, holding his head in his hands.

"So how fast do you think he'll kill you? You think it'll be right away or slow and painful?"

Elena nudged her side. "Riley" she hissed.

"What? He tried to bite me. Let's talk about it, Trevor. How is he going to kill you? Just snap your neck or will he leave you to bleed to death? We can take bets"

"Be quiet" he snapped.

As he continued to pace around the room, Riley grabbed a broken piece of wood from a chair leg near the wall. She hid it in the back of her dress, tucking it in the sash around her waist. Rose returned with a man in his late 20s. He was very handsome with styled dark brown hair, hazel brown eyes, high cheekbones, and a muscular build. The dark suit he was wearing made him look sophisticated. Riley did not realize how much he towered over her until he moved in front of Elena. She was holding onto Elena's hand and felt her grip tighten as he stepped closer to her. He sniffed her neck. Elena was breathing shakily, doing a poor job at keeping calm.

"It's human. It's impossible…hello there"

He sniffed the air again, turning his attention to Riley. She showed no signs of fear. Dressed like some Armani suit model, he did not scare her.

"And who are you?"

"Riley"

"P—please don't hurt her. She's my cousin. S—she has n—nothing to do with this" stuttered Elena.

"We have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going. One last piece of business then we're done" he replied, his eyes still on Riley.

He broke his gaze, walking over to Trevor. Immediately, Trevor apologized for his past actions and begged for forgiveness. Riley watched Elijah circle him like a lion about to attack its prey. She was unsure if he would honestly forgive Trevor.

"I beg for your forgiveness"

"Granted"

Elena jumped when Elijah swiped at Trevor, knocking his head off of his body. Rose had tears in her eyes. She started to walk towards Elijah, upset. He did not look the least bit worried and casually wiped the blood from his hand.

"Don't, Rose…now that you are free"

Rose simply stood on the staircase, sniffling. Elena gripped Riley's arm even tighter, nearly cutting off all circulation. Elijah extended his hand towards her. Riley smacked it away and moved Elena behind her, protectively. He looked at her, surprised.

"Screw off. She's not going anywhere with you"

"I politely disagree"

"Well I rudely say that you're out of your mind if you think I'm letting you take her"

"Wait, w—what about the moonstone?"

If they were in any other situation, she would be smacking Elena upside the head. Elena had a tendency to just blurt out things without thinking. It was the worst possible time to mention the moonstone.

"I know where it is and I know where you can get it"

"Tell me where it is"

"It doesn't work that way"

"Are you negotiating with me?"

Rose told him that she never heard them mention its location. Riley stamped on Elena's foot.

"Say nothing" she mouthed.

Elijah stepped towards them. She did not let Elena move even an inch.

"Perhaps your cousin can tell me where it is"

Riley scoffed. 'You've got a better chance of finding out from a talking frog. We're not telling you anything"

He grabbed her chin, resorting to compulsion. Riley had been prepared for this strategy. When she was fourteen, she learned how to resist it. It took a lot of effort and mind power. He gazed deep into her eyes, his pupils dilating.

"Tell me where it is"

"Joke's on you. That doesn't work on me. My father taught me how to fight it"

"How intriguing"

Riley glared. "Here's what is going to happen next, grandpa. We get the keys to whatever car brought us here, we go home, and you stay the hell away from Elena. If you so much as step foot in Mystic Falls, I'll kill you"

"Is that a threat?"

Elena was shaking from head to toe. Riley reached for the hidden stake.

"It's a promise. You might be like a zillion years old but you're not immortal. Anyone can be killed"

"Aren't you quite confident?" he asked with a small smile.

She tried to stab him in the side as a distraction. He caught her hand, taking the stake.

"You need to be quicker than that. Even for a so-called grandpa, my reflexes are very good. Do you think I didn't anticipate that?"

Riley kicked him hard in the groin. She sprayed vervain at him and swiped his leg, knocking him to the floor. Holding Elena's hand, she hurried up the staircase.

"Guess he didn't anticipate that, huh?"

"Riley, we have nowhere to go"

As they reached the doorway, Riley was lifted into the air. Elijah had his arm around her waist. She kicked her legs. Elena moved down the staircase, scared to be near him.

"You better put me down. I'll stab you with my heel"

"I will personally take you home but I'm afraid your dear cousin shall stay with me"

He ripped off Elena's necklace, which contained vervain, and easily compelled her. She told him that the moonstone was with Katherine in the tomb under the church. Riley was able to get one of her heels. Elijah grabbed it, preventing it from hitting his eye.

"You're very protective of your family. I admire that"

"The next thing you'll admire is my fist connecting with your face. Put me down"

"Please don't hurt her" pleaded Elena.

"I have no intention of doing that" he replied.

She heard glass breaking somewhere in the house. He grabbed Elena and forced her out of the room. Putting down Riley, he lightly pushed her and Elena over to Rose. Blurs kept moving around them. Rose insisted that she did not know who could be in the house.

"Up here"

Elijah zoomed up the staircase.

"Down here"

A stake pierced his palm. One of the blurs passed by Riley, grabbing her and pulling her into another room. She was leaning against the wall with Rose and felt relieved, seeing Damon. He kept his hand over Rose's mouth.

"Stefan has Elena. We'll get out of here. Stay quiet" he mouthed.

"To whom it may concern, you're making a grave mistake if you think you can beat me. You can't. I repeat, you cannot beat me. I want the girl by the count of three or heads will roll" said Elijah, referring to Elena.

Riley heard Elena talking to him. Elena promised to come with Elijah, pleading for him not to hurt anyone. There was an explosion and Damon grabbed a coat rack. He ran out of the room, followed by Riley. Piercing Elijah in the chest with the coat rack, he pinned him against the wall. Elijah's skin turned an ashy grey and his head fell forward. She felt a slight pain in her chest. Rose vanished from the house. Riley stopped him from going after her.

"Leave her alone. She's not a problem"

"You okay, Riley?"

"Yea. I didn't really need your help but it was nice of you to come"

He smirked, messing with her hair. Elena was hugging Stefan. Riley could practically see the pain on Damon's face. They left the house and Elena and Riley sat in the backseat. Stefan told them to get some rest during the long drive. Riley continued to feel a small amount of pain.

"What's wrong?" asked Elena.

"Nothing. Probably just from Katherine chucking me into a table"

Ignoring the pain, she fell asleep as Damon drove back to Mystic Falls…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading and all reviews are appreciated. I've been re-watching season 2 episodes and I noticed that Elijah doesn't really do much in them until episode 14 since he's more behind the scenes or only there for a couple scenes. I definitely want to develop the relationship between Riley and Elijah more so upcoming chapters will deviate slightly from the episodes they cover to give them scenes together. I want to establish their relationship before Klaus shows up in the story.  
**


	7. Riley Makes a Deal

Keeping the promise she made to Elena while being trapped in the disheveled house, once they returned to Mystic Falls, Riley brought her, Stefan, and Damon to her house. Her father was very reluctant to invite two vampires inside. He did not judge vampires but it tooked a lot of trust for him to extend any invitation. After a lot of pleading and pouting from Riley, he relented though he did warn Damon and Stefan that if they caused harm to anyone in his family, he knew painful ways to remove the invitation and keep them away from any houses. Elena had immediately questioned Riley's parents about her role in breaking the sun and moon curse. They showed their old research, mostly about the curse, and explained to her that the blood of an ancestor in her Petrova bloodline, which she shared with Katherine, had been used to enact the curse on werewolves and vampires. Since nature required balance, the blood of a Petrova doppelgänger was the key to breaking it.

Unfortunately, they refused to answer many more questions. The subject of Elena dying was not exactly a topic for casual conversation. Rose showed up at the boardinghouse to warn them about Klaus. He was considered the oldest and most feared of the Originals. She told them that Elijah had intended to bring Elena to Klaus to help him break the curse. Since Riley's parents were not willing to discuss the curse, Elena resorted to getting information from Katherine while Damon and Rose met with her friend Slater, who knew people connected to Klaus. Katherine admitted to Elena that Klaus had killed her entire family when she escaped him over 500 years ago and he would do the same to Elena's family and friends if he did not get his way. Riley continued to question her parents about the Originals and the curse. She would have asked for her friends to help but they were all busy with other supernatural problems. Caroline was helping Tyler understand his werewolf transformations after he learned that she was a vampire. Bonnie was learning about two new warlocks in town, Luka Martin and his father Jonas, and Jeremy was too distracted with making googly eyes at Bonnie everytime he saw her. He had not been very subtle about his crush.

To make matters worse, Elena decided to do more digging by herself despite everyone telling her to stay in her house for her protection. She had forced Rose to take her to see Slater. Instead of Slater, they met his girlfriend Alice and Elena was going to give herself up to Klaus to keep her loved ones safe. Damon found her, thanks to a call from Rose, before she made such a foolish mistake. Everyone was shocked, to say the least, when Elijah somehow rose from the dead and killed two of Klaus's men by ripping out their hearts. With Elijah somewhere in the town, Riley tripled her efforts to get more information from her parents. They would purposely avoid her, leaving for work before she woke up for school and going straight to bed when they returned home late into the night.

Riley was sitting in front of the door, holding an apple. Her mother hurried down the staircase, putting on her coat.

"Riley, what are you doing?"

"I am not moving until we talk. Before you think you can easily just pick me up, I have your car keys"

"Sweetheart, I know that you're worried for Elena but we would never let anything happen to her"

"And yet you're doing nothing while two Original vampires could just walk up to her door and take her out of Mystic Falls"

"I told you that Klaus is nowhere near the town. Your father and I have a trusted source that would tell us if he was, Riley. As for Elijah, he would have made his move by now if he was going to take Elena. He clearly has another agenda"

"Or he's giving us a false sense of security"

Knowing that this was a losing battle, her mother sighed to herself. Her father left the kitchen, carrying a small box. The box shook in his hands. Riley questioned him about its contents.

"Incentive to make you stop cornering us everytime we try to leave the house. We're keeping an eye out for any trouble"

"Nothing is going to make me stop, Dad. You are being way too calm about everything"

Putting the box on the ground, he took out yorkshire terrier. It was very tiny with black and brown fur. Riley's eyes widened in surprise. Ever since she was four years old, she wanted a dog. Her mother disliked the idea, thinking that dogs would cause a huge mess. Riley always felt a connection with animals and her desire for a pet caused her to bring stray or injured animals home, which drove her mother crazy. When they were living in England and Riley was eleven years old, it had gotten so bad that their house resembled a miniature zoo. Her mother put a ban on animals but it did not stop Riley from sneaking them into the house.

"Brendon" said her mother, shocked.

"The choice is yours, Riley. You can have the dog you always wanted…or you can keep talking about curses and sacrifices"

"You'll really let me keep it?"

Reluctantly, her mother nodded. Riley picked up the dog and smiled when it licked her face. Her phone vibrated. Jeremy had sent her a text, asking for help with babysitting Elena. She hugged the parents, thanking them for the new dog, and drove to Elena's house. Elena was standing in the doorway, touching an invisible shield. Bonnie and Jeremy were near the staircase.

"I should've asked you to do this to my house, Bonnie. It would've made my parents more willing to talk with me"

"It's effective"

"You guys can't keep me trapped here" said Elena.

"Obviously, we can"

Riley stepped into the house. Jeremy noticed the dog in her arms.

"You're not starting with the stray thing again, are you? I thought your mom banned all animals from your house…even goldfish"

"They bribed me with the dog to get out of answering more questions about the curse. Say hello to Brownie. Isn't he the cutest little thing you've ever seen?"

Seeing the frustrated look on Elena's face, Riley held Brownie in front of her. Her expression softened. Riley kept her occupied by playing video games and watching their favorite movies. She received multiple texts from Tyler, asking for help with the full moon tonight. Damon had made her promise to focus all of her attention on Elena. She apologized to Tyler for not being with him, lying that Elena was feeling very ill. Caroline assured Riley that she would protect Tyler. They were already planning to chain him up in the old Lockwood cellar, the same place that Mason used for his own transformations. Tyler also mentioned that some girl had stopped by his house, looking for Mason. Riley did not tell Elena about the situation with Tyler, pretending that the text was from her mother. Elena moped on the couch, clutching a pillow.

"Stop with the moping, Ellie. This is for your own good. You'd do the same to me"

"I just wish Stefan wasn't stuck in the tomb with Katherine. What if she hurts him?"

"He can handle himself. I'm going to make us some popcorn before the movie"

Riley went into the kitchen. As she made popcorn in the microwave, she heard Damon. She carried the bowl into the living room. Damon was on the phone. She stood on a chair to reach his height and leaned her head against his to listen to the conversation. Alaric was on the other end, telling him about the girl that asked about Mason. Damon decided to meet him at the Grill to learn more about her. He told Jeremy and Riley to be on 'Elena duty'.

"You know, you should get out, enjoy the sun…oh wait, you can't"

Elena chucked a pillow at him. Riley followed him to the door.

"Do you think this girl is a werewolf?"

"Hopefully not"

"Here, take this. I took it from my parents' stash of supernatural stuff. I gave some to Tyler already so he could be ready for tonight" she said, taking out a small bag of wolfsbane.

Damon hid the bag in his pocket. "Make sure Elena doesn't do something stupid"

"Got it"

She shut the door behind him and returned to the living room. A couple hours later, Jenna arrived at the house and made dinner for them. They were sitting at the table, having a fun conversation. Elena stayed silent the entire time, moping about Stefan. When Jenna looked at Riley for an explanation, she shook her head as a sign to ignore it. After dinner, she followed Elena to her room to do their homework. Elena kept staring out the window. Riley threw an eraser at her head.

"Hey!"

"Elena, Stefan is fine. Once Bonnie removes the spell on the moonstone, she'll work on getting him out of the tomb"

"And then Klaus will come find us to get his revenge"

"Would it be so terrible for you to think positively? For all we know, Klaus thinks that his men didn't find you. Enough homework. Let's go to the grill…me, you, and Jeremy"

"But"

"No buts. We are going. You need to keep that frown off of your face"

As they left the room, they heard a commotion downstairs. Jenna was kneeling in front of the closet, taking out boxes filled with papers and tattered books. She handed one to Elena, telling them that Mrs. Lockwood roped her into helping the Historical Society. The boxes contained aunt Miranda's old files. As she shut the door, they saw Elijah standing in the hallway. Riley hid her shock while Elena nearly dropped the box. She kicked Elena in the back of her leg, not wanting to scare Jenna.

"Hey. I'm Elijah" he said, smiling.

Jenna grabbed the box from Elena. She explained that Elijah was in Mystic Falls for historical research. As Jenna went into the living room, Elijah walked over to them. He extended his hand.

"It's a pleasure"

"Not for us. If you don't want to lose that hand, you'll keep it away from my cousin" retorted Riley.

"I see you're still violent, Riley"

"Says the guy who knocked off a guy's head"

Elijah chuckled. Jenna returned, offering to help him put the boxes into his car. He told her that he would get them tomorrow morning. As she walked with him towards the door, he thanked her for inviting him into the house.

"Elena, Riley, I hope to see you two again sometime"

Once he left, Elena hurried up the staircase. Riley followed her to Jeremy's room. She took out her phone to warn her father. He had a magical dust that would remove the vampire's invitation to a house. As she waited for him to answer, Elena knocked on the door, frantically. A hand covered Riley's mouth, pulling her against the wall. He turned off her phone. Looking at Elena, he put his finger to his lips. Jeremy opened the door, his headphones around his neck. Elena lied that Jenna needed help with the boxes. He nodded and went downstairs. Riley bit down on Elijah's thumb, causing him to let go of her. She glared harshly.

"What do you want?" asked Elena.

"I think it's time you and I had a little chat…in private"

"Riley, why don't you go make us ice cream?"

"I'm good"

"I'll be fine. Go" she whispered, pleadingly.

Riley grabbed Jeremy's old wooden baseball on the floor of his room. He had gotten it for his birthday when he was very young. She looked at Elijah.

"If you do anything to her, I will shove this so far up your ass that you cough up wood chips. Understand?"

"Perfectly clear"

Elena nudged her side. Wary of leaving her alone with him, Riley went downstairs. Jeremy was bringing boxes into the living room. He noticed the bat in her hands.

"Why do you have my old bat?"

"I almost tripped over it, dork. Don't leave your stuff everywhere"

"It's not a long trip down for you" he teased.

"Ha ha. Just for that, I'm giving you strawberry ice cream instead of chocolate"

"But I hate strawberry!"

Riley entered the kitchen. She wondered what was so private about the conversation in Jeremy's room. As she grabbed bowls from a cabinet, she struggled to not call Damon. With his vampire speed, Elijah could leave with Elena and none of them would be aware until it was too late. Brownie followed her around the kitchen. She bent down to him.

"Go up to Jeremy's room. Spy on Elena"

He merely barked, wagging his tail. She pet his head.

"You're not ready for that responsibility yet. You'll learn"

Riley opened the fridge. It was packed with all kinds of food. She searched for the cartons of ice cream. Finding the chocolate and strawberry, she reached into the back of the fridge.

"Do you need help?"

She almost hit her head on the fridge door, hearing Elijah's voice. He was standing next to the counter.

"I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. No vampire strength required. I'm guessing your conversation with Elena is over"

"Yes, we came to an agreement. I ensured her that her family and friends would come to no harm. I wanted to have our own little chat. To keep up my end of the deal, I would like to spend the day with you"

Riley almost dropped the cartons. She was unsure if she heard him correctly. Closing the fridge, she looked at Elijah, expecting him to call it a joke. She put the cartons on the counter.

"You're kidding"

"Quite serious"

"Well sorry to burst your bubble but I'm busy on all days that end in y"

"Then we could meet _tomorrow_"

Elijah had seen throug her usual trick. Whenever she wanted to get out of being alone with a guy, she used that line. It was sad that no guys saw through it though honestly, Elijah was probably smarter than all of them combined. She tried to come up with another excuse.

"My dog is a good judge of character. He doesn't really like anybody"

To her frustration, Brownie yipped as Elijah pet his head. "Perhaps I am an exception"

"This isn't a date"

"We can call it…getting to know each other better"

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise"

"Surprises with a vampire…comforting. Fine, we can hang out or whatever but if you pull some cheesy thing out of a chick flick, I'll stand you up"

Elijah told her that he would find her tomorrow. She tried not to blush when he kissed her hand delicately.

"I look forward to tomorrow. Have a good night, Riley"

He left the kitchen in a quick blur. She looked down at her hand. When Elena entered the kitchen, she scooped ice cream into the bowls. Elena was watching her, grinning from ear to ear.

"So what did Elijah want?"

"What?"

"He said he needed to talk to you before he left…to make sure he stayed on your good side. What happened? Don't lie"

"He just…sort of asked me to…spend time with me"

Riley smacked Elena's hand with the scooper when she let out a loud giggle. She poked Riley's shoulder.

"I think he likes you"

"Don't start. It isn't a date. It's a hang out"

"Do you like him?"

"I don't even know him"

Elena continued to tease her about her 'date' with Elijah. She did not even stop when Jenna and Jeremy entered the kitchen, pretending that he was a guy in the senior class. At school the next day, Riley had to endure even more teasing from her friends. Caroline wanted to go to Riley's house to pick out the perfect outfit. Riley had never felt more embarrassed in her life, listening to Caroline's tips. She understood their excitement since she had been away from Mystic Falls during her first date but it did not give them the right to giggle and repeatedly ask her if she liked Elijah. Riley was at her locker, grabbing cans of silly string and streamers for the booster club barbecue. The barbecue was going to make money for the school's sports teams. After classes, everyone was helping to set it up at the back of the building. Riley had to wear her cheerleading outfit for the entire day. Caroline had planned for them to do a special routine. Jayden stopped by her locker, holding paper cups and a package of hamburger buns.

"So is my favorite little cheerleader ready to do her routine?"

"Hopefully, I won't have to"

"Why not?"

"I'm hanging out with someone"

He looked at her, curiously. "Do you have a date?"

"It's not a date" she insisted.

She regretted mentioning it to Jayden. He asked her multiple questions about Elijah. After a while, it started to sound like an interrogation.

"Relax, Dad. My clothes will stay on the entire time" she joked.

"Am I interrupting?"

Elijah walked over to her locker, wearing a casual black suit. Jayden looked between him and Riley. She was sure that he noted the age difference.

"I did not expect you to be a cheerleader"

"Not by choice. My friend Caroline evoked a promise from when we were nine to make me be on the team. This is my friend Jayden. Jay, this is Elijah"

"Nice to meet you"

Jayden crossed his arms, giving him a curt nod. Riley grabbed a bag of clothes from her locker. She did not want to walk around the town in her cheerleader uniform.

"Jay, can you come with me to the bathroom?"

"No, I should get to know"

"Come on. I need you to hold my bag while I change"

Tugging on his shirt, she dragged him towards the bathrooms. Some of the football players passed by them. Cameron wolf-whistled at her.

"Looking sexy, Ri"

"Go jump off a bridge, Cam"

He grabbed her behind. Without a second thought, she slammed his head into a nearby locker. Cameron fell to the ground, holding his nose. The other guys backed away from her.

"Anyone else want to cop a feel?"

They shook their heads. She brought Jayden into the bathroom. Changing in a stall, she told him that she did not need him to be a protective older brother. He mentioned that Elijah did not look like a high school student.

"He's not"

"How did you meet him?"

"He's in town doing research and he asked for my help"

"Really? That's your story?"

"Jay, nothing is going on. It's not a date. If our hang out ends before the barbecue, I'll stop by"

They left the bathroom to find Elijah waiting outside, leaning against the wall. She gave the bag to Jayden to put in her locker. Shooting Elijah a suspicious look, he walked down the hallway.

"I think your friend dislikes me"

"No. He just…we've been best friends since we were little and he's always been protective"

Riley followed him out of the school, curious about where he would take her. He led her through the woods. She was taken aback when he asked to know more about her. On her usual dates, guys would take her to a movie and try to touch or kiss her within the first five minutes. Elijah seemed generally interested in knowing about her and it was a nice change.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything. I find you interesting"

"Is that just because my blood smells amazing to you?"

"Do you think that's the only reason I asked to spend time with you, Riley?"

"It crossed my mind. I know it's like catnip for vampires"

"After 1,000 years as a vampire, I have excellent self control. I would never harm you"

After a while, she began to warm up to Elijah. He was very charming, kind, and compassionate. Like Riley, he was protective of his family. He assured her that he wanted to protect Elena and he had no intention of helping Klaus to break the curse. They were standing on the bridge that passed over the Falls.

"Have I changed your perception of me?"

"You're not completely awful"

Elijah smiled. Her phone vibrated in her jeans pocket. She received a text from Elena, telling her that Rose had died earlier tonight. Yesterday, Damon had antagonized the girl who arrived in Mystic Falls to find Mason. She turned out to be a werewolf and bit Rose. The bite caused hallucinations and she ended up attacking three people at the barbecue. Elena was worried about Damon, who left the boardinghouse. He had developed a close relationship with Rose. Riley tried to call Damon but he was not answering her.

"Is everything all right?" asked Elijah.

"Can I ask you a weird favor? Could you use your super hearing to find Damon? He's in a really bad mood and no one knows where he went. I'm totally ruining this d—hang out thing right now"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I will help. Do you have any idea where he would go?"

"No, but he's probably drunk"

They headed back towards the town. Elijah stopped her as they neared the edge of the forest.

"I hear him. He's close"

A few minutes later, they ended up on the main road. Damon had a girl pinned to the side of a car and bit into her neck. Riley rushed over to him. She punched the back of his head. Turning around, he dropped the girl. He was holding a bottle of whiskey in his other hand. His eyes were dark red with veins protruding under his eyelids. He sniffed her neck.

"You smell really good, Riley"

She smacked him across the face. His eyes returned to normal, welling up with tears. He mumbled incoherently. She hugged him, not sure of how else to help him.

"It'll be okay. I'll take care of this. Just go back to the boarding house

"I can't"

"Riley, allow me"

Elijah grabbed onto Damon's chin, peering directly into his eyes. He compelled him to forget that he had seen him tonight, return home, and go to sleep. Riley took the bottle of whiskey. Damon vanished down the road. The girl was laying lifeless beside the car. Elijah offered to have someone take care of the incident.

"Would you like me to take you home?"

"Actually, I want to go see Elena. I want to make sure she's okay"

They walked to Elena's house. She apologized for the ruined evening.

"I had a wonderful time with you, Riley. I wanted a chance to get to know you…and I did. I hope to see you again without distractions"

"I'll think about it"

Elijah kissed her cheek. "Good night"

He disappeared from the front porch. Riley turned around, feeling flustered, and bumped into the front door. The door opened, revealing Elena. Based on her gleeful expression, she heard the entire conversation.

"So how was your date?"

"For the millionth time, it was not a date"

"Uh huh…"

"Can we drop this subject? I took care of Damon. He is back at the boardinghouse and asleep"

"Did he look okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Far from it but we'll take it one day at a time"

Stefan walked over to them. Elena looked surprised to see him. He had left Mystic Falls to find Isobel to learn more about Klaus. She asked if he was able to contact Isobel. Riley's nails dug into the banister as her uncle John entered the hallway.

"Hello Elena, Riley"

"What the hell is he doing here?" Riley asked Stefan.

"The number led to him. Why don't we just sit and talk?"

Both Riley and Elena did not trust John. He proved to be very dishonest, even during their childhoods. Stefan led them into the living room. While Elena helped Stefan make some coffee, Riley crossed her arms, silently glaring at her uncle.

"You've certainly grown. Are we still doing the silent treatment? I haven't gotten one of the icy Riley glares since you were nine"

"Do my mom and dad know that you're here?"

"Not yet. I just got into town tonight. How are they?"

"Great"

Stefan and Elena returned with cups of coffee. He sat between her and Riley, wanting to keep both from attacking John.

"I'm surprised your parents let you near any vampires, Riley"

"I would never hurt her, John"

"I'm sure you think that. My brother thought the same, trusting your kind. I guess he hasn't learned from the little incident in France"

Riley's hand was shaking while holding her cup. John had no right to talk about what happened in France. He was here barely five minutes and he already wanted to start drama with the family. Elena looked at her.

"What does he mean?"

"Nothing. Instead of being annoying, why don't you tell us why you're here, uncle jackass?"

John was not very forthcoming with information. He would only tell them that he returned to Mystic Falls to protect Elena. Riley rolled her eyes and listened to Elena pester him for more answers…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. The next chapter is going to show why there is so much hostility between Riley and John and the tensions will rise even more when he reveals that he knows a secret about her.  
**


	8. Werewolf Attack

For the entire night, John was unwilling to tell them much about the sacrifice. He would only admit that he knew that it involved Elena, a fact that he learned from Isobel. Stefan had to play mediator between Riley, Elena, and John. Riley would constantly make sarcastic remarks, mocking him. She had years of repressed anger begging to be unleashed on her uncle. Even though he expressed concern for Elena, she did not believe him for one second. She was sure that he had some kind of ulterior motive for returning to Mystic Falls. Part of her wished that she continued hanging out with Elijah. It would have been a much more enjoyable night. Not wanting to leave Elena alone with John, she decided to stay at her house. She texted her father about John's arrival. To say that both of her parents were displeased was an understatement. Like Riley, they were not fond of John and his games. They had a tense relationship with John, especially when it dealt with his care of Elena. When she was younger, she had learned the truth about John being her father and witnessed an argument between her mother and John about being a proper father figure.

Riley was sitting in Elena's bed, drawing while her cousin slept. She had drawn a picture of John as a donkey, representing his true self. As sunlight shined through the window, Elena rubbed her eyes, drowsily. She checked her alarm clock.

"How long have you been up?" she asked Riley.

"An hour. You had a rough day yesterday so I let you sleep. I occupied myself by drawing"

"Is John still here?"

"I heard him moving around downstairs"

Riley followed Elena downstairs. John was in the kitchen, watching the television while pouring coffee. She heard Mrs. Lockwood giving a speech. The council had planned a memorial for the recent deaths in town. It was an excuse to keep the town peaceful while the police worked on solving all of their opened cases. Seeing them, he turned off the television.

"Morning, you two. Riley, I see you still draw"

"I do. I actually drew a picture of you"

She showed him the drawing. "This is you as a donkey and under your butt is the crap you kept telling us last night"

Elena stamped on her foot. She was attempting to be the peacemaker in Stefan's absence. Riley grabbed John's cup of coffee for herself. Elena questioned him about his reasons for returning to Mystic Falls. Similar to last night, he only said that he wanted to protect her. He was not convinced that he could trust either of them. Riley scoffed under her breath.

"I'm sorry. You don't think you can trust _us_? Is that seriously coming out of your mouth right now?"

"Riley" hissed Elena.

"No, this is so typical of him. He"

She was interrupted by Jenna and Alaric entering the kitchen. Seeing John, Jenna looked very confused. An tense conversation between them followed with Jenna questioning why he was in the house. Alaric turned to Riley for an explanation. Her annoyed expression told him that she was just as unhappy as Jenna. The conversation turned awkward when John revealed that he was Elena's real father. Riley glanced around, waiting for a camera crew to jump out from behind the wall and reveal they were taping them for a trashy talk show.

"I'll let you three talk. I should get home to…I'll see you later, Elena"

Jenna's eyes drifted between Elena and John. She was still in complete shock over this news. Riley headed back towards her house. Caroline sent her a text, warning her about Tyler. A second later, she received a similar text from Stefan, who was watching over Caroline. Tyler was sitting on her front porch. She sensed that he did not want to have a homework chat.

"Hey Ty. What's up?"

"Did you know about Mason?"

Thinking about Caroline's urgent text, she assumed that he knew the truth about Mason's death. She had a feeling that Jules, the visiting female werewolf, was responsible for his newfound knowledge. His eyes turned golden in color.

"Answer me. Did you know that Mason was dead this entire time?"

"Ty, listen"

Tyler slammed her against the wall, angrily. His fingers dug into her skin.

"You're supposed to be friend, Ri. You lied to me. You knew that Damon—do you know about Caroline and the Salvatores…what they are?"

"Yes. I knew since I arrived in town. They're not the enemy"

"How can you side with them? They killed Mason! What kind of friend are you, Riley?!"

"There's a lot you don't know. Just let me explain"

"No. I don't want to hear more lies. Jules was right"

"You're going to trust some random girl over me, someone you've known for your entire life? Ty, Mason wasn't here for you. He was working with someone dangerous to find that moonstone. He's not the good guy that used to babysit us. Mason's the one that stabbed me during the volunteer day"

Riley confessed what had happened in the woods with Mason and how he was willing to kill her to catch the Salvatores. Tyler refused to believe her story, insisting that Mason would never hurt her. He believed that the Salvatores had brainwashed her to be on their side. Still angry with her, he told her that he could not stand Mystic Falls for much longer. She was surprised when he mentioned that Jules wanted to take him back to Florida to teach him how to handle being a werewolf. Tyler let go of her, staring at the ground.

"As long as you're friends with those vampires, you're dead to me, Ri"

"Tyler"

Riley pleaded with him to listen to her. Ignoring her, he walked back to his house. She called Stefan, running her hand through her hair. Once he picked up, she told him about Tyler confronting her and Jules's plans for him. Stefan urged her to not go anywhere alone in case Jules or even Tyler decided to attack her for revenge. Jules had been in town long enough to see who hung around with Damon, her main target. As she entered her house, she heard her parents arguing in the living room. It did not take long to guess that John was the subject of the argument.

"What do you expect me to do, Alice?"

"Tell him to leave. You're his older brother. Use that authority"

"I don't have any power over him"

"He's not here for just Elena. You know him better than that"

"I'll figure out his plans. John thinks he's smart but he always messes up somehow"

Her mother noticed her by the doorway. Riley had to endure ten minutes of questions. Whenever John was around, her mother did not want Riley near him, purposely avoiding him during visits. It was as if she worried that John would hurt her.

"Mom, I'm fine. We barely talked. I just sent him glares across the room"

"Well the sooner he leaves, the better. Wherever he goes, trouble follows"

Following Stefan's advice, she spent the day with her parents. She stayed in the living room, attempting to call Tyler and checking for any sign of Jules. Tyler ignored all of her calls. Around dinnertime, they drove over to the Mystic Grill. They had made plans to have dinner with Jenna and Alaric. Riley was sitting between her father and Alaric. Hours had not been long enough for Jenna to process that John was Elena's birth father. While her mother comforted Jenna, Alaric and Riley discussed the situation with Tyler in soft whispers. He assured her that they would repair their friendship.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Jenna. We wanted to tell you but Grayson and Miranda decided to keep it quiet"

"It's just bizarre"

John walked over to the table, ruining their meal. Her mother and Jenna shared the same exasperated expression. He greeted Riley's parents.

"I didn't think you'd ever come back here, Brendon. It's good to see you again. Do you think I could join you?"

"Do they let dogs eat at restaurants?" asked her mother.

John chuckled. "I see that Riley got her penchant for snide remarks from you, Alice"

Her father put down his menu. "Why are you in Mystic Falls, John? What trouble are you going to cause?"

"No trouble. I'm here for Elena. She's my daughter, Brendon"

"Yes, she is…and she was your daughter for the past seventeen years. Did you decide to finally act like a father?"

"This is why we don't do family reunions" Riley whispered to Alaric.

"I'm going to protect her"

"I'm sure you think that. If you still have any brain cells left, I suggest you stay out of the matter"

John's nostrils flared. He loathed when her father would belittle him or tell him to not act foolish. Many arguments between them had started by her father insinuating that he had to clean up John's messes over the years. A fight was avoided by Damon and Elena entering the grill. Damon put on an act, giving John a warm smile.

"Always good to see you, Brendon. Alice, has anyone ever told you that blue is your color?"

Riley's mother, similar to Jenna, did not fall for Damon's charms. She disapproved of Riley's friendship with him. It had nothing to do with him being a vampire. In her mind, he was the typical bad boy.

"Well if I have to deal with two idiots in one night, I'm going to need a stronger drink. Excuse me"

Riley followed her to the bar. As they waited for a margarita, Riley asked her mother to be polite to Damon.

"Mom, he's really not that bad. He's on our side"

"I know his type, Riley"

"He might surprise you. You two can bond over your hatred for John"

Damon sat next to Riley at the bar. Her mother returned to the table with her margarita. He had been attempting to get information out of John. His attempt ended in failure. All he found out was that John knew about Katherine being stuck in the tomb, due to Elijah compelling her. He expressed interest in killing John to get rid of him.

"You won't hear an objection from me"

"Why can't Elena be like that?"

"Trust me, if John keeps up this silent routine, it's going to be either you or me that beats him up to find out what else he knows"

As they discussed who hated John more, Damon brought up the incident from last night. He thanked her for helping him. She lied that she had hidden the body herself in the woods. If Damon knew that she was with Elijah, he would freak out on her. She noticed that he was still depressed over Rose's death.

"How are you holding up?"

"Liquor helps"

"It'll get better. You didn't have anything to do with those dead campers, right?"

"Nope, not me"

Jenna walked over to the bar with her friend, Andie Starr. Andie was a local newscaster in Mystic Falls. Riley watched as Andie flirted with Damon, asking to buy him a drink. He rejected her, leaving the bar. She did not realize how hard Rose's death affected him until that moment. As she texted Jayden, she felt someone grab her arm. Elena pulled her into the bathroom with Damon. She had received a call from Stefan. Jules kidnapped Caroline and was torturing her with wooden bullets. She threatened that if she did not get Tyler, she would kill Caroline. Riley and Damon reacted negatively, asking why Stefan waited so long to tell them. Elena explained that Stefan did not want either of them to act reckless.

"Who's reckless?"

"Riley, come on. You would go over there and try to rescue Caroline by yourself"

"That's exactly what we should do"

Damon suggested that he could kill Tyler. Riley and Elena refused, not wanting Tyler to get hurt. He had been through enough for one day. Elena rested her hands on Damon's shoulders. She begged him not to hurt Tyler since too many people had already died in the town. Damon told her to stop assuming that he would do whatever she wanted by simply asking him. Riley could hear the pained tone in his voice. He was doing a poor job of hiding his attraction to Elena. The door burst open and John entered the bathroom.

"What's going on here?"

"We're having a sexy vampire threesome" replied Riley, sarcastically.

Elena insisted that nothing was wrong. Damon told John to watch over her and Elena. Despite Riley's protests, he left the bathroom. John stopped her from following after him. Elena and Riley paced around the bathroom. They planned to run out of the grill, thinking that John could not catch both of them. As Elena opened the door, they saw John waiting outside in the hallway. He prevented them from leaving and chastised Elena for her deal with Elijah. Riley's fists clenched when he called Elijah untrustworthy.

"He is going to keep his promise. You don't even know him, John"

"And you do?" he asked, curiously.

"He's a man of his word. Unlike you, he doesn't stab people in the back"

She clutched her stomach, bending over in pain. John looked at her, confused. She lied about having so-called lady troubles.

"I know you're lying, Riley"

Tears brimmed her eyes. "Uncle John, please let me go to the bathroom. My stomach really hurts"

"Fine but you come right back here"

"I will. I promise"

Riley went into the bathroom. Standing on top of the changing table, she climbed out the window. There were cardboard boxes stacked up outside. Damon waited for her by the dumpster. She used the boxes to get down safely.

"Took you long enough, shorty"

"It's not my fault. John was being a jerk. Thanks for the boxes"

Riley and Damon headed for the clearing near Wickery Bridge. There was a trailer in the middle of the clearing. A girl in her mid-twenties with dark blonde hair stood in front of the trailer, arms crossed. Stefan and Tyler were across from her and Riley could hear Stefan negotiating for Caroline's release.

"My brother, the peacemaker"

"What is Riley doing here?" asked Stefan, glaring at Damon.

"Hey, I need a partner that has my back since there's a very likely chance that you'll wuss out"

Damon looked at Jules, telling her that his method would be much bloodier. He made a fair point that without a full moon, a werewolf could not match a vampire in strength. Jules seemed confident that she would win in a fight. She let out a loud whistle. A dozen guys emerged from the trees, carrying stakes and a flamethrower. Riley remembered that werewolves liked to travel in packs.

"Give us Tyler"

"You heard her. Go"

Anxiously, Tyler walked over to Jules. "Which one of you killed Mason?" asked the guy closest to the trailer in an aggressive tone.

"Well, that's a tricky answer. It was kind of a double team effort between me and my sexy friend here" said Damon.

"Boys, make sure these two suffer"

"Hold on, wolf boy. She isn't a vampire. Let her go home"

"You don't get to decide that"

The werewolves made a tight circle around them. Damon sped towards Jules, who jumped on top of the trailer. Riley did not have much experience with fighting werewolves. She did not think it could be worse than staking a vampire. While Damon ripped out one of their hearts, she ran to the trailer to find Caroline. One of the guys grabbed her from behind and raised his stake. Riley elbowed him in the stomach and jammed the stake into his neck. He fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. She continued to fight though her punches and kicks had little effect on them. Stefan was laying on the ground, a stake in his side. Damon fought with the aggressive guy. Jules shot him in the shoulder with wooden bullets. Caroline hurried out of the trailer, her hands covered in blood. Before Riley could help her, Jules forced Caroline against the trailer. She pressed the gun into Caroline's neck. Riley picked up a crossbow, pointing it at Jules.

"Put that down, little girl"

"Let go of Caroline"

"You think you're faster than me?"

Tyler was standing in the doorway of the trailer. Riley had expected him to help Caroline. He did not move from his spot, avoiding any eye contact. Riley shot Jules in the leg with the crossbow. She let out a loud yell, dropping the gun. Riley kicked her in the face and kept the crossbow pointed at her head. Suddenly, all of the werewolves, except Tyler, clutched their heads in pain. It reminded Riley of Bonnie's spell that caused aneurysms. Jonas entered the clearing, his hands raised. Within a minute, they were all unconscious on the ground. Damon and Stefan stood up weakly.

"Elijah made a promise to Elena. I'm here to see that it's upheld. You need to go"

Riley walked with Caroline. To her confusion, Jonas put his hand on her shoulder.

"Stay"

Caroline looked reluctant to leave her alone. He assured her that he would not harm Riley. She followed Stefan and Damon down the dirt path.

"When your friends awaken, give them a message. They need to get the hell out of this town" he told Tyler.

Jonas led her out of the woods. "Elijah wanted me to escort you home"

"I don't need—he's not going to take no for an answer, is he?"

"Afraid not"

They walked back towards her house. It was not far from the woods. Elijah was standing on her porch. He thanked Jonas for his assistance. She stepped onto the porch, questioning how Elijah knew that she lived there.

"Are you stalking me?"

"It took great deduction skills. This is the Gilbert mansion and I guessed that a Gilbert would live here"

"The vampire Sherlock Holmes"

"Are you hurt, Riley?"

"Physically, no. Emotionally, a little"

Elijah took off his coat, putting it around her shoulders. They sat on the white porch bench.

"I was worried about you"

"How did you know there was a fight in the woods?"

"I didn't. I had a feeling that you were in danger and sent Jonas to find you. For a moment, I felt a pain in my side"

Riley remembered how one of the guys kicked her during the fight. She thought about the pain in her chest after Elijah got staked by Damon in the abandoned house. It seemed like a weird coincidence.

"Well, he showed up at a good time. I could've taken on those werewolves by myself but it's always good to have a backup"

He smiled. "I'm sure you would have instilled fear in their hearts"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Of course not"

"Thanks for sending help"

"I'm glad you're safe, Riley. I should get going"

"Don't forget your coat"

"Keep it. It's chilly out and I don't want you to catch a cold"

Elijah vanished from her porch. She kept the coat around her, deciding to stay outside.

"Well, now I can see why you stuck up for him"

John was leaving her house. "Is he compelling you?"

"I can't be compelled. My dad taught me how to fight it"

"Then you're purposely being stupid"

Riley glared at him. She would not let someone like John ever call her stupid. He told her that Elijah only wanted her for her blood. She did not want to listen to him trash Elijah, who proved to be more of a man than him. John moved his arm over the door.

"I am trying to protect you"

"Well that would be a first, John"

"Riley"

"Elijah's not going to hurt me. I can't say the same for a certain uncle who abandoned me in a room with hungry vampires"

When Riley was seven years old, John visited Mystic Falls. Her parents had a work trip and he promised to watch over Riley for a couple days. A group of vampires arrived in the town, looking for him. He brought Riley to her uncle Grayson's clinic for protection, claiming that he would return for her once it was safe. The vampires broke into the clinic but when she tried to leave, she discovered that John locked the door. She was trapped with a dozen hungry vampires. It was the first time that she ever felt truly helpless. She hid herself in a supply closet and eventually blacked out, afraid that the vampires would find her. The next thing she remembered was waking up in her bedroom with her mother crying beside her and her father screaming at John for his lack of responsibility. That incident led to the animosity between her parents and John.

"You were never in danger"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because bad things happen when you get very emotional. Didn't you ever wonder what happened to the vampires that night? I know more about you than you think, Riley. When you decide to put the past behind you, I'll help you understand"

"I don't want to hear your cryptic bullshit"

"Like I said, I can help you but you need to trust me. Once you do that, I'll tell you why your blood is special and how Elijah knew you were in danger"

"Just stay away from me"

Riley slammed the door in his face, not willing to trust him…

* * *

**Thanks for reading :)  
**


	9. The Kiss

After her tense conversation with John, Riley found it difficult to fall asleep. She ended up calling Jayden, asking him to come over to study for an impending chemistry test. Her parents trusted Jayden and did not mind that he spent the night in her room. He was the perfect distraction from all the insanity happening in Mystic Falls, from John's return to the angsty werewolves. She focused on her schoolwork, refusing to discuss John. Jayden was aware of the animosity between the two of them. He had no idea about the vampire incident, only that John put Riley in terrible danger while she was in his care. Though she tried to actually do some studying, she struggled to ignore her conversation with John. It was just like him to bring up something interesting and then withhold information. Riley did not want to fall for one of his cat and mouse games. She felt unnerved when he mentioned how terrible incidents happened around her. It made her curious if he had any idea about her control over fire.

Riley was sitting on her bed with Jayden, holding a chemistry textbook on her lap. A tray with two plates of breakfast food rested between them. He bit into a piece of toast. She twirled a few strands of her hair around her finger. He waved his hand in front of her. She snapped out of her daze.

"Did you say something?"

"I was asking if I got this problem right. Are you okay? You were spacing out a lot last night too. I know you don't like to talk about him but does it have to do with a certain uncle?"

"Why would you think it has to do with John?"

"Well, I could lie and say that I can read minds but I think the picture of John on your bedroom door with darts all over it makes it pretty clear"

Riley looked at her bedroom door. There was an old picture of her and John at the lakehouse, hung on the door with tape. While waiting for Jayden last night, she took out her frustrations by throwing darts at the picture. John's face was covered with five small darts. She sighed, lying that she and John had one of their typical fights.

"What did you fight about this time?"

"We fight about everything, Jay. We could fight over the color of my shirt and whether it's black or a really dark blue"

"What is he even doing here? No offense but everytime he shows up in town, bad things happen"

"He wants to be there for Elena and Jeremy"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking downstairs. Riley could hear her mother yelling at someone, most likely John. She hurried down to the kitchen. Both of her parents were glaring at John. Pieces of glass were scattered across the floor near the doorway. John dodged another glass thrown by her mother.

"How could you be that stupid, John?"

"It's far from stupid"

"Giving him that dagger? You know what it will do if he uses it"

"Because it will be such a loss. You don't like him much either, Alice"

"He's not exactly a gentleman but he's not a danger to this town. Brendon and I trust them"

"Typical of you to be so naïve"

Her father, who became very aggressive when anyone insulted Riley or her mother, grabbed John by his shirt collar. Riley could not hear much of their conversation. He called John a moron for what he had done last night and that his actions could incite more problems in the town. John countered that it would essentially 'kill two birds with one stone'. She was distracted by Jayden joining her in the hallway but caught the end of her father's lecture, which involved a word that sounded very close to Klaus. Her father noticed them outside the kitchen. He let go of John, not bothering to hide his angered expression. John straightened out his shirt.

"Good morning, Riley. Your parents and I were having a little chat. I see you're still friends with Jason"

"Jayden" he replied, rolling his eyes at John's inability to remember his name.

"Right. Were you two alone?"

Her mother poured tea into a cup. "It's none of your business, John. We trust Jayden and Riley. She could have ten boys in her room and it's still not your concern. I think you should leave before this cup gets thrown at your face"

"This conversation isn't over, Brendon"

"Far from it, little brother"

John stepped over the broken glass and left the kitchen. Jayden needed to return home to get ready for the party at the Lockwood mansion. The Historical Society was having a tea party in honor of Elijah visiting under the guise of a historian. Out of all the children of founding families, only Jayden and Riley needed to attend since their parents were part of the society. Jayden's father worked at Whitmore College as a history professor. Once he left the house, she looked at her parents.

"What did John do?"

"It's nothing, sweetheart. John is just unwilling to trust any vampire. He doesn't think before he acts and as always, your father and I will need to clean up the mess. You should get ready for the party. Remember to dress appropriately…no jeans" said her mother.

"But"

"Riley, no jeans"

She sighed. "Fine. I'll practice holding my pinky in the air too. Will my favorite uncle be there?"

"Sadly. No fights with John today. The same goes for you, Brendon"

Riley headed back to her room. She spent the next hour getting ready for the party. All of her attempts to avoid it were pointless. She could usually convince her parents to let her not attend these fancy parties but it never worked with parties involving the Historical Society. It meant that she had to endure hours of boring conversations. As she searched for a pair of heels in her closet, she sent a text to Elena. She had gone to the Gilbert lake house to spend time alone and take their minds off of recent events. Elena sent a text back, telling her that they had just arrived at the lake house and if they were in trouble, she would call her. Riley put her phone in her purse and walked downstairs. Her father was putting on his suit jacket.

"Riley, I'm sure Damon will be at the party today. Make sure he doesn't do anything…stupid"

"Like what?"

"I've seen he can be a bit impulsive. Just keep an eye on him"

"Is John trying to hurt him? I heard Mom mention a dagger"

"Like I said, keep an eye on him. Let's strive for no deaths today"

Riley walked with her parents to the Lockwood mansion. She quietly hoped that Tyler would attend the party, wanting to make amends with him. The werewolf situation had put a strain on their friendship. A waitress handed them cups of tea. Riley feigned a smile as people complimented her. She checked for any sign of Jayden or Tyler. Mrs. Lockwood was speaking with Elijah near the entrance to the living room. As always, he was wearing a suit. Her father's hand pressed into her back. He was very wary of Elijah, knowing that he was one of the Original vampires. Mrs. Lockwood introduced him as Elijah Smith. Riley stifled a laugh at his fake last name.

"Brendon and Alice are part of the Historical Society. They've made many contributions. Brendon is the head doctor at our hospital. Alice is actually quite the famous archaeologist though she's settled down a bit, teaching at Whitmore College. They know all about the history of this town. I'm sure you could get some interesting facts from them for your book"

"That would be great. It's a pleasure to meet you both"

Her father shook his hand. "I'm sure you'll find a lot of things to write about here. This is my daughter, Riley"

"Yes, we met when I stopped by Jenna's house for some historical documents. Wonderful to see you again"

For the first time, Riley had a genuine smile on her face. Mrs. Lockwood asked him questions about his book. Riley was impressed that he could answer every question with ease. He had definitely prepared before the party. Her father told them about an old witch legend that originated in Mystic Falls. She attempted to dump the tea into a potted plant. Elijah pretended to listen to the conversation, watching her with amusement. Her mother spotted her tipping the cup near the plant. She shot her a small glare. That one look was enough to make Riley hold onto her cup. She scrunched her nose at the sight of Andie kissing Damon.

"Oh dear god. Don't tell me they're together" whispered her mother, shocked.

Damon walked over to them, smiling. Mrs. Lockwood greeted him warmly and introduced him to Elijah. The tension in the room rose as Elijah and Damon looked at each other. They shared a stiff handshake.

"Brendon was just telling us a fascinating legend"

"I'd love to hear it. I'm always in the mood for a good story"

"Actually, I need to talk to Damon for a minute. He's been helping me with homework. Is that okay?" asked Riley.

"Well I wanted to get to know Elijah better. Everyone's talking about him"

"You've got plenty of time for that. Come on, buddy"

She wrapped her arm around his neck, tugging slightly. He chuckled.

"Be careful with this one. She's tiny but feisty"

Riley brought him outside the mansion. She questioned him about his relationship with Andie. Damon explained that he was using her as someone to confide in after Rose's death. He told Riley to not put labels on their relationship, having no interest in being an actual couple. She thought it was dangerous, especially if he had to compel her on a regular basis. When she asked him about John, he was suspiciously quiet.

"We should get back inside. I'm in the mood for some tea"

"Don't change the subject on me, Damon"

"Who said I'm changing the subject?"

He returned to the party, disappearing into the crowd. She kicked the wall in frustration. A waitress placed a tray of sugar cookies on a table before heading into the bathroom. Riley took the tray and sat on a bench, waiting for Jayden. She bit into a cookie, muttering about Damon being an idiot. Caroline bombarded her with texts, asking her to meet her, Bonnie, and Jeremy. After learning that Luka and his father were working with Elijah, they formed a plan to get information about the sacrifice. They were bringing an unconscious Luka to Elena and Jeremy's house for the interrogation. Riley doubted she could sneak away from the party. Her mother had the eyes of a hawk. She told Caroline to text her whatever they found out from Luka.

"Are you not enjoying the party?"

Elijah walked over to the bench. She shrugged.

"I'm not a tea party kind of girl. I needed some time away from old ladies pinching my cheeks and telling me how pretty I am and how I've grown since the last time they saw me"

"You shouldn't be out here alone"

"Yea, the squirrels that hang around here are dangerous. I think I saw one pass by with a knife in its mouth" she joked.

He smiled, sitting beside her. "They can be quite vicious. You look lovely in that dress"

"I'd say you look nice in a suit but you always wear one"

"Does that bother you?"

"No, I like it. I hope you're not out here because Damon is bothering you"

"I was looking for you. I would ask if you wanted to take a walk but I wouldn't want your father to worry. He seems very protective"

"Believe me, he's calm right now. When he's holding a gun with wooden bullets to your face, then you'll know that he's being protective"

"I'll remember that"

The party was much more enjoyable with just her and Elijah talking outside. She felt very comfortable around him. Though both of them had traveled around the world, he had more exciting stories. Her worldly experiences were limited since she was stuck in school most of the time. She listened to him talk about New Orleans.

"I've never been there. It sounds fun"

"My family and I loved it there"

"Do you have any family left? I wasn't sure if they were turned into vampires too or it was only you"

There was a pained look in his eyes. She regretted asking him such a personal question.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that"

"My family is a sore subject. I have a brother but we are estranged at the moment. I tend to always clean up his messes. This may sound awful but I do hope that you never meet him in person"

"Everyone has that kind of person in their family. In mine, it's my uncle John. He's a jerk, to put it lightly. He really likes to mess with my head"

"How so?"

Riley was reluctant to tell him about her conversation with John. A small part of her urged her to be honest. Elijah was over a thousand years old. With his life experiences, he could possibly have an explanation for her strange abilities. Jayden was getting out of a car with his father. He walked over to them, his smile vanishing when he saw Elijah.

"Took you long enough"

"My dad had to finish grading papers. I tried to ditch but you know how he loves to spread his history knowledge"

"You remember Elijah"

"Yea, old guy with a funny name"

Riley threw a cookie at him. He defended himself, saying it was a joke.

"I think I'll head back inside. If you need to talk, you can come find me, Riley" said Elijah.

Jayden took his spot on the bench. Once Elijah was inside the mansion, Jayden asked if she was dating him. Riley looked at him, strangely.

"We're just friends, Jay"

"He's kind of old"

"Don't start with that again"

"I'm not wrong"

"Elijah is really nice. He's not as an idiot like other guys in this town"

"Like me?" he asked, sounding a bit hurt.

"No, not you. I meant guys like Cameron. Did you see Tyler at all? I thought he'd be here"

"Nope. I haven't heard from him all day. Is everything okay between you two?"

"We got in this stupid fight about Mason. Tyler is really confused and I just need to explain everything to him"

Suddenly, she felt as if someone was choking her. The sensation passed after a couple seconds. She thought that it had to do with Elijah. Jayden asked if she needed any water, thinking she choked on a cookie. She nodded and went into the mansion. Within minutes of her searching every room, she found Elijah and Damon in Mr. Lockwood's old study. Elijah had his hand around Damon's throat, pinning him to the wall.

"How dare you come in here and challenge me?"

"You can't kill me, remember? It's not part of the deal"

Grabbing a pencil from the desk, he jammed it into Damon's neck. He noticed Riley near the door and zoomed over to her. In a split second, his expression turned from anger to concern. His fingers brushed against her neck.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded. "What's going on? I'm pretty sure there's a rule against fights at tea parties"

"Just the arrogance of a young vampire"

Damon was leaning against the desk, holding his neck. Blood seeped through his fingers. Elijah took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket. Damon snatched it, pressing it against his wound.

"I'm an Original. Have a little respect. The moment you cease to be of use to me, you're dead. You should do what I say. Keep Elena safe"

Elijah turned towards her. "I think it is time for me to leave. I suggest you do not let him go until his wound is fully healed or else people will ask questions. Stay safe, Riley"

He left the room. Damon was cursing under his breath. Riley grabbed the bloody pencil.

"Are you healing?"

"Yea. The pain is gone"

"Good"

She slammed the pencil into his hand. He groaned in pain.

"What the hell?!"

"Why did you attack Elijah? Are you insane?"

"No"

"He's an Original, Damon. You don't just attack them. You're lucky he just hurt you with a pencil"

"Why did he ask if you were all right? What's going on with you two?" he asked, moving the handkerchief to his injured hand.

It was Riley's turn to change the subject. She lied that Elijah probably thought she was in shock from seeing their fight. A few minutes later, his wounds healed and they left the study. Her parents were busy speaking with other council members. She walked over to Alaric and Jenna and asked him to bring Damon back to the boardinghouse, claiming that Damon had a bad stomachache. As she told Damon to call her if his illness got worse, Alaric seemed to understand her hidden meaning. She met up with Jayden and both of them had to spend another two hours at the party, roped into many dull conversations. Jayden's father went on and on about the history of the church. They were thankful when the party ended at half past nine. When she returned home with her parents, she lied that she was going to meet Caroline and Bonnie at Mystic Grill. She drove her car to the boarding house to check on Damon and give him another lecture about not attacking Elijah again. The door was wide open. She cautiously entered the house. Someone grabbed her roughly, covering her mouth.

"You're not very good at hiding. I could smell your scent before you even walked in here" said a gruff voice.

She was dragged into the living room where she saw Damon chained to a chair with a collar around his neck. The collar, covered in wooden nails, dug into his skin, creating deep gashes. Some of the werewolves from last night, including Jules, stood around him.

"Oh look, it's your little friend. Maybe she can help us out. Tie her up"

Riley was thrown into a chair beside Damon and restrained by chains. Jules stood in front of her.

"You're a tough one, huh? A little fighter. Unlike your vampire friend, you won't heal if we hurt you so tell us where we can find the moonstone"

"I'm not telling you anything"

"Sure about that?"

"You don't scare me"

"Poor choice of words"

She nodded her head towards the guy next to the fireplace. He grabbed the fire iron.

"Last chance, princess. Tell us where you're hiding the moonstone"

"Bite me"

The fire iron pierced her leg. She bit her lip, trying not to scream. Jules warned Damon that each time he kept quiet about the moonstone, Riley would get hurt. The fire iron was used over a dozen times on various parts of her body. She did not let the pain show on her face.

"Just kill her. Consider it payback for Mason's death"

Riley felt a warm sensation swelling inside her. The guy grabbed a set of chains to choke her. He was about to use them when the chains seemed to move of their own free will, wrapping around his own neck. Struggling to breathe, he fell to his knees. She watched as he stopped breathing, laying motionless on the floor.

"What the hell was that?" asked the guy holding the chains connected to the collar.

One of the guys took out a knife from his pocket, holding it to Riley's throat. "It was her"

"Get away from her" said Damon, glaring.

"She killed him"

Riley shook her head. Jules pointed a rifle, containing wooden bullets, at Damon. For the fiftieth time, she asked about the moonstone. The knife pressed into Riley's throat.

"Get over it, honey. You're never going to get it"

"Looking for this?"

Elijah was standing in the doorway, holding the moonstone. He entered the living room and placed the moonstone on the table.

"Go ahead. Take it" he said, calmly.

Without thinking, they attempted to get the moonstone. Elijah easily stopped them by ripping out their hearts. Jules vanished from the room. He walked over to the last guy, the one who had been hurting Damon. The guy put his jacket over his head, shaking in fear.

"What about you, sweetheart?"

Elijah lifted him up by his collar. "Take a shot"

The guy shook his head, silently. With one punch, Elijah broke his neck. He removed the chains around Damon and Riley. Carefully, he lifted her up from the chair.

"You realize this is the third time I've saved your life. I will take care of Riley"

He grabbed the moonstone and left the boardinghouse. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Seconds later, they were inside a small, one-story house. He laid her down on the bed. Biting into his wrist, he held it out to her. She pressed her lips against her wrist, drinking his blood. Her wounds began to heal.

"Do you need anything? A glass of water?"

"Sure"

As he entered the kitchen, she heard her phone vibrate. She reached into her purse. Caroline had texted her about the success of their plan with Luka. It turned out that Klaus had kidnapped Luka's older sister to help him break the curse. Elijah promised Luka and his father that he would help them get her. He planned on letting Elena die in the sacrifice in order to kill Klaus because after breaking the curse, he would be extremely vulnerable. Elijah returned with a glass of water. If she had vampire strength, her phone would be snapped in half.

"Riley, what's the matter?"

"Are you going to let Elena die in that sacrifice? It's a yes or no question"

"It's complicated"

"Wrong answer"

She started to get up from the bed. He grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me"

"I promise no harm will come to her"

"She's going to die! I get that vampires heal quickly but regular people don't. For us, dead is dead"

The lights in the house flickered. Elijah swore to her that Elena would be safe. He explained that he had an elixir that would restore her. She thought it was very convenient that he mentioned the elixir at this moment.

"I am not lying to you. You and I both feel the need to protect family. I promise you that Elena will not die. Once Klaus breaks the curse, I will kill him and I will give her the elixir to bring her back to life"

"If you're lying, I'll lock you in a box and throw you in the deepest part of the ocean"

"Exactly why I will keep that promise. Riley, believe that I would never put you through the pain of losing family. Would you like me to bring you home?"

"Could I stay here? I feel like my uncle is probably waiting for me and I don't want to deal with him right now"

"Of course. You can rest here for as long as you need"

"Thanks…for letting me stay and saving me and Damon" she said, taking the glass from him.

"Is something troubling you?"

"You'll think I'm crazy"

"I would never think that"

Riley told him about the incident with the chains at the boarding house. She left out the sensation in her stomach shortly before the chains wrapped around the guy's neck.

"You think it was magic?"

"What else could it be?"

"Perhaps it was Jonas protecting you"

"Maybe. I just thought…forget it. I'm glad those werewolves are gone"

"You should get some rest. You've had an eventful evening. I will make sure no werewolves sneak in for another attack"

After sending a short text to her mother, claiming that she slept over at Caroline's, Riley drifted off to sleep. She woke up the next morning, her head resting against Elijah's chest. He had fallen asleep in his suit. His arm was slipped around her waist. She quietly slid off of the bed, trying to make no noise.

"You do know it is nearly impossible to be quiet around a vampire" she heard.

Elijah was awake. "Did you sleep well?"

"I guess. I should get home"

"I'll walk you"

"That would be bad. Walking me home at…six in the morning in our clothes from last night? My dad would definitely get his gun and shoot you. Besides, my house isn't far from here. Thanks again for letting me stay"

Riley pecked his cheek. He did not let go of her waist. She giggled, moving his arm. He looked slightly embarassed. She returned to her house. Millions of thoughts were racing through her mind. She convinced her father, who was rushing to get to work, that she felt ill and he allowed her to skip school for the day. As her father left for work, she entered his study. She spent the day searching through old Gilbert journals and other historical records. Her hope was to find something to explain the strange incidents around her without asking John for help. By the afternoon, the room looked like it had been hit by a tornado. She dumped files from one of the cardboard boxes.

"You look very sick"

Her father was standing outside the room. "Dad, I was just"

"Why are you in my study? What's wrong?"

"Nothing"

"So you're trashing my study for no reason?"

"I just—I think something's wrong with me. I lied about going to the grill to meet Bonnie and Caroline. I went to check on Damon and he was being attacked by werewolves. They went after me too"

"What?!"

"I'm fine. Elijah showed up and he healed me. Before he came, something weird happened. One of the guys was going to choke me and he had these chains. They started moving by themselves and choked him. I—I think I did it"

"Riley, you're confused"

Riley opened up to him about her conversation with John. Her father was getting angrier by the minute. He did not appreciate John scaring her and assured her that John only wanted to cause trouble. She could not bring himself to tell him about her experiences with fire.

"What if he does know something?"

"He doesn't, Riley. This is typical of John. He's scaring you to win back your trust. I don't want you to speak with him. Do you understand me?"

"But Dad, you don't—it's not just this thing from last night. I"

"John is making you feel crazy. Your mother and I need to go out of town for business. We'll be gone for a week. Do not let him into this house. You lock the doors even if you're home. If you're worried about being alone, Jenna said that you could stay with her, Elena, and Jeremy. Your mother is waiting in the car"

"I'll be fine, Dad"

"Oh, Jenna had invited us to a dinner party at the Salvatore boardinghouse. Since you decided to fake being sick, you can go in our absence and your mother and I will want to know everything you talk about there. It's at eight. There won't be many people…just Jenna, Alaric, Andie, and Elijah. We'll know if you don't go"

"I promise to be there. Have fun on your trip"

Her father kissed her forehead and left the house. Around seven, she started to get ready for the dinner party. Riley doubted that she needed to wear formal attire yet she found herself caring about her appearance. She had gone through more than a dozen outfits before she chose a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black v-neck halter top, and black ankle boots. Twenty minutes were spent on her hair alone, conflicted on whether to leave it up or down. She drove over to the boarding house and knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing Damon. He looked surprised to see her.

"Riley, what are you—I'm glad you're looking better but why are you here?"

"My parents got called out of town for some work. They sent me in their place"

"That's not necessary"

"Damon, if I don't stay, they'll know and then they'll make me live with John. That's torture. What's so bad about me being at a dinner party?"

"Nothing. I just…you're young. You should be partying it up with your fellow teens"

"Why are you being weird?"

"Not being weird at all. You can help Jenna and Andie set up in the dining room if you want"

Riley went into the dining room. Jenna and Andie were setting up the table. Her anger rose when John entered the room, carrying plates. He did not look pleased to see her, thinking that Damon invited her to the party. Jenna defended her, explaining that her parents left town and Riley was taking their place.

"It must be so exciting to do that kind of work. Have you ever helped at a dig site?" Andie asked, smiling.

Riley nodded. "A few times"

She ignored John while helping Jenna with the glasses. He would purposely stand next to her. It was as if he was asking her to hit him. Sensing Riley's discomfort, Jenna asked her to see which bottle of wine Damon wanted to use for dinner. Riley headed back towards the front door. Elijah was standing in the doorway, speaking to Damon. She tousled her hair. Realizing what she was doing, she mentally scolded herself. Elijah grinned, entering the house.

"Riley, I was not expecting you"

"My parents had to leave town for work so they sent me instead"

He kissed her hand. She tried not to blush.

"You look stunning" he whispered.

"Well since we're all here. Let's eat" said Damon.

They walked into the dining room. John practically forced Riley to sit next to him. Elijah and Alaric were across from her. She listened to Elijah talk about witches in Mystic Falls. Though John mocked it as a ghost story, Riley knew it was true. Damon questioned why he wanted to know the location of a witch massacre.

"He's a historian, genius. It's part of his job"

Jenna stifled a laugh. Damon, Alaric, and John looked at Riley like she had ten heads. She avoided eye contact, drinking her glass of wine.

"It's true. Historians like to know every detail" said Elijah.

Throughout the rest of the conversation, she and Elijah would sneak small glances at each other. Her stomach felt like it was raging with butterflies. After dinner, Jenna shoved plates into John's arms, insisting that he help her and Andie clean up the dishes. Riley went into the bathroom to check her hair and makeup. She swiped on lip gloss and left, almost bumping into Elijah.

"Are you stalking me?"

"Perhaps I needed to use the bathroom as well"

"You're a bad liar"

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better than last night. I thought this would cheer you up. I was going to stop by your home after the party to give it to you"

Reaching into his pocket, he gave her a jewelry box. She opened the box, seeing a silver-chained necklace with an emerald gem in the shape of a teardrop.

"Wow. It's…this is for me?"

"Yes"

He put it around her neck. His hand brushed against her cheek.

"It's almost as beautiful as you"

"I bet you've said that line to millions of girls in the past thousand years"

"And I've only truly meant it once"

Her heart was racing, nearly jumping out of her chest. He leaned down to her. She could see herself reflected in his eyes. Before she could even process what was happening, his lips pressed against hers for a brief second. A spark ran through her body. The kiss was short and sweet. They stared at each other, neither saying a word.

"Riley"

John was at the end of the hallway. Elijah moved his hand to his side.

"Why don't you help Andie and Jenna with dessert? Elijah, the men are having drinks in the study. You should join them"

Grabbing her wrist, John led her towards the kitchen. "Let go of me, John"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm not your daughter so I don't have to tell you"

"Oh, I'm sure your father would love to hear that you're alone with a vampire…an Original, no less. Did our conversation from a couple nights ago mean nothing? I don't want you near Elijah"

"Elijah's helping to keep Elena safe. He's not the enemy. We were just talking"

"It looked like more than that"

His eyes rested on your necklace. He reached for the necklace to rip it off of her. She smacked his hand, angrily.

"Don't touch me. I don't need to explain myself to you. If you keep this up, my dad will deal with you and it's going to involve putting you in a coffin for good"

Riley grabbed a tray of cupcakes and entered the dining room. Elijah was walking down the hallway with Andie, their arms linked. As Andie talked, Elijah looked at Riley. It was like electricity passed through her. She grabbed a cupcake to keep her mind off of him. Damon appeared in front of her with a confused expression on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Eating a cupcake"

He swatted the cupcake from her hand, knocking it onto the table. "Not the cupcake. I'm talking about your eye-sex during dinner with an Original"

"I'm not" she started.

"You think I don't know what it looks like? I basically invented it. It's not the cutesy googly eyes you make when you've got a crush on the kid playing in the sandbox. If it was possible to have sex with just our minds, you two would be doing it on the table"

She scoffed. "There is nothing going on, Damon. You're hallucinating"

"Don't let him fool you. We can't trust him. Do I need to remind you that he's going to let your cousin die for some stupid sacrifice? Don't look at him for the rest of the night"

"Damon"

"Not even once"

Jenna was still in the kitchen, cleaning dishes. The rest of them sat at the table for dessert. Once again, she was next to John. Elijah was on the other side of her. She listened to Damon, keeping her eyes on her cup of tea. Andie questioned Elijah about his work as a historian. Alaric was searching for her notebook in her purse. Riley felt something on her hand. Glancing down, she noticed Elijah's hand resting over hers. His fingers moved back and forth as Damon mentioned that John was Elena's father. Sipping her tea, Riley let out a tiny giggle. A hard sensation connected with her knee. Taking her fork, she stabbed John's leg. Andie left the table to help Alaric.

"What I'd like to know is how you intend on killing Klaus" said John.

"Gentlemen, there are a few things we should get clear right now. I allow you to live solely to keep eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house with her friends as a courtesy. If she becomes a liability, I'll take her away from here and you'll never see her again"

"I suppose you'd take Riley too"

"John, I will literally pay you to stop talking" replied Riley, glaring.

"It must be very difficult to be sitting so close to her. The scent of her blood…"

"I happen to have excellent self control. I would not harm Riley"

"If you two stopped being paranoid for five seconds, you'd realize that you both sound stupid right now" she said, looking at both John and Damon.

Elijah suppressed a smile. Andie returned with her notebook.

"Okay, my first question is when you first got here to Mystic Falls"

Her question was interrupted by Alaric stabbing Elijah through the chair with a dagger. Riley's eyes widened in shock. Elijah's skin turned grey and for a second, his grip tightened on her hand. He slumped in the chair, looking dead. Alaric removed the dagger. Neither Damon nor John seemed very surprised.

"This is why you wanted me to leave" she said to Damon.

"Riley"

"What the hell are you doing?! Do you choose to not ignore all of the stupid ideas in your head or are you just incapable of thinking like a rational person?"

"This is for the best. Now we're all safe"

Riley felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was like a knife cut her heart. She cried out in pain.

"Riley, what's wr"

Her head knocked into the table as she fainted. When she woke up, she was no longer in the boarding house. She was laying on the bed in Jeremy's room. Jeremy entered the room, carrying a bowl of chips and a bottled water. He looked relieved.

"Riley, I didn't think you'd wake up"

"What happened?"

"You uh fainted at the boarding house. Damon brought you here"

"I need to go back there. They—there was a dagger and—Elijah…"

"Riley, you're okay. Just take a few deep breaths. Bonnie and I are right downstairs if you feel sick again. I need to make sure she's okay too. Jonas stopped by while you were still unconscious. He took her magic"

"Why?"

"Because he was mad and—I don't know. Just stay in here until you feel better"

Jeremy hugged her and walked out of the room. She remembered everything that happened before she fainted at the boarding house. Alaric had used a dagger on Elijah to kill him. It was a plan between him, Damon, and John. They were not the only ones to lie to her. She had a feeling that others knew about their plan. As she left Jeremy's room, she felt that pain in her chest again. She clutched her chest, leaning against the wall.

"Jer!"

"Riley?"

The last thing she remembered before fainting was falling down the stairs…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. The connection between Riley and Elijah won't be explained right away but it is significant that both times Elijah was daggered, Riley fainted. The next chapter is going to reveal a bit more about her abilities and introduce Klaus.  
**


	10. 60s Decade Dance

Riley remained at Mystic Falls hospital for almost two weeks. When her parents returned to Mystic Falls, her father immediately conducted all kinds of medical tests. He hoped that the tests provided a logical explanation for her condition. She was essentially in a comatose state with a very weak pulse. All of the tests returned with negative results. No one wanted the reason behind her current state to be magical, which would be difficult to explain to others in Mystic Falls. The cover story was that Riley fell down the stairs and hit her head on the railing, resulting in her coma. Her parents stayed by her side the entire time, waiting for Riley to open her eyes. When they were not in school, her friends would visit her in hopes that they would find her awake and out of bed. After eliminating every other possibility, they came to the conclusion that Elijah had cast a linking spell on her so that if he was harmed, Riley would suffer the same fate.

While she was unconscious, Riley experienced a recurring dream. She would see strange, rune-like symbols and a town that resembled the 1800s in style. The symbols flashed by so quickly in her mind that she could never get a clear picture of them. Riley was having the same dream for what seemed like the hundredth time, seeing symbols on a rock wall. She had just entered the mysterious town.

~_Riley walked around the town, seeing the symbols in various places like shop windows and lamp posts. She was like a ghost, not being acknowledged by the people that she passed in the streets. A sign hung in the window of one of the shops, reading: __**Welcome to New Orleans**_. _She was distracted by the sound of someone screaming for help. The scenery changed into a forest. A cloaked figure ran past her, clutching a black leather-bound book. As the figure hurried towards a disheveled shed, another person blocked their path. To her surprise, she saw Elijah. He was wearing clothes that looked like they were from a Jane Austen novel. His hair was tied back with a black ribbon. _

_"There is no reason to be afraid"_

_The figure pulled down the hood of their cloak, revealing a girl in her twenties. She glared at Elijah, speaking in a foreign language. _

_"I will not harm you, miss" _

_"My brother…always the gentleman"_

_A guy with shoulder-length sandy brown hair and pale blue eyes appeared next to Elijah. He seemed to be a few years younger than him. The girl tensed up, keeping the book close to her chest. _

_"Why are we still standing around and not drinking from her?"_

_"Niklaus, as always, your manners are without equal" _

_"Well if the good little witches removes her spell on Kol, then perhaps I'll reconsider" _

_His brother stepped towards her. He clutched his chest in pain. Riley realized that the girl was using magic. A black blur zoomed through the woods. As it grabbed the girl from behind, Riley saw another girl, close to her age, with blonde hair and the same pale blue eyes. Veins protruded under her eyes. The book fell from the witch's grasp. Elijah reached for the book. Just as soon as he touched it, he dropped it, holding his hand. A small burn had formed on his palm. _

_"Typical little witch trick"_

_"Rebekah" _

_"Enough with being polite, Elijah. If she doesn't want to help willingly, I know the perfect way to get what we want. Once the witch dies, her spell will be lifted from Kol. I won't mind a taste. I could smell her from miles away. She smells delicious" _

_Riley watched as Rebekah bit into the girl's neck. The witch tried to move her hands to perform a spell. Niklaus grabbed her hand, snapping the bone like a twig. He joined his sister in drinking her blood, biting into the other side of her neck. Riley expected Elijah to help her. His eyes followed the blood trickling from her wounds. It was like he was under a trance. Niklaus pulled away and smiled at him._

_"You know you would like a taste, brother. It's the most incredible thing I've ever tasted. The quicker she dies, the sooner Kol will be back to full health" _

_The witch had fallen to her knees. Elijah bent down to her._

_"I implore you to listen to reason and remove your spell. I'm sure you understand the importance of family" _

_She spit in his face. A second later, Elijah was biting into her wrist. Instead of watching the girl slowly lose consciousness, Riley looked at the book. It had opened by itself to a page. The writing glowed blue and vanished into thin air. She heard the witch whispering very quietly. Rebekah threw her to the ground. _

_"Well, that should take care of" _

_Wounds appeared on their necks and wrists. All at once, they fell to the ground, unconscious. A group of cloaked figures entered the forest. One of them, a middle-aged woman, picked up the book. _

_"Should we try to help your daughter?" asked a man. _

_"No. She deserved this for trusting vampires" she replied, having a thick accent._

_"They are the Originals. They could come after us…after you"_

_She chuckled. "Let them try. My daughter did her part. If they try to harm me, they will suffer the same. My death at their hands means that they will die as well…even the abomination"_

_Looking at Niklaus, her eyes flickered with disgust. They left the forest, keeping their faces hidden.~_

Riley continued to have the same dream…

~Elena~

Elena was pacing outside the hospital. Daggering Elijah was supposed to be helpful but it only made things worse. Riley had still not woken up from her coma. Though Elena wanted to just remove the dagger, Damon refused, thinking it would play into Elijah's plan. He suggested that Elijah knew about their plan to dagger him the entire time and had Jonas cast a linking spell between him and Riley. It ensured that the dagger would be removed in order to save her. Elena doubted that Elijah could harm Riley. From what she had seen, they were getting along well and had some kind of attraction to each other. Riley's parents were more willing to believe that it was an actual medical problem. John did not help much, dropping little hints that he knew what had caused Riley's condition.

Besides worrying about Riley, Elena had to deal with Isobel's arrival in Mystic Falls. Isobel showed up at the house, leading Jenna to find out that she was not actually dead, a fact that Elena, John, and Alaric kept from her. Jenna, unable to cope with the lies, decided to stay at Whitmore college. Elena decided to visit Riley before going to the Lockwood mansion to accept a check for her mother's old foundation from the Historical Society. Stefan was on the phone with Damon. To prepare for Klaus, Damon was going to bring Bonnie to an abandoned cottage in town, the site of a witch massacre in 1864. They planned to help her gain the power of the hundred dead witches. He walked over to Elena.

"They just found the spell in one of the grimoires at the Martins' place. They're going to head to the cottage now"

"What's the chance that one good thing will happen and Riley will be awake?"

"Let's go see her"

They entered the hospital. Aunt Alice was speaking to a middle-aged woman with curly blonde hair. Elena did not recognize her.

"Are you sure Brendon is okay with this?"

"You know how he gets. He's going to keep doing medical tests until something comes out positive. He's gone as far as thinking she just hadn't eaten that much earlier in the day and fainted from lack of food"

"It's better than thinking it's something supernatural, isn't it? I'll see what I can do. Is he around?"

"He's busy with another patient"

The woman entered Riley's room. Elena walked over to her aunt. When Elena questioned her about the woman, she admitted to Elena and Stefan that she sought some help for Riley. The woman was an old friend that she met during their time in California. She happened to be a powerful witch. Aunt Alice called her to attempt a spell to wake Riley up from her coma.

"So you believe us about the linking spell?"

"I'm not saying that but it was definitely caused by some magical means"

"What if it doesn't work?" asked Stefan.

Elena nudged his side. Aunt Alice seemed confident in her friend's magical abilities. While they waited to see if the spell worked, Elena talked with her about Isobel's surprise visit. She sympathized with Elena's situation, knowing it was tough to keep a secret from Jenna. Uncle Brendon was walking down the hallway, carrying a clipboard.

"Brendon, why don't we get a coffee?"

"I wanted to check on Riley. I think I'm right about the lack of food"

"I bet you are. Let's get some coffee first"

The lights in Riley's room flickered. "Alice, what did you do?"

"I know you want to keep up this belief that Riley just fainted for a simple reason but deep down, you know that magic was involved. I can't stand seeing her in that room anymore. I called Clare for some help"

"Without even asking me? What if magic makes things worse?"

Elena heard a loud crashing sound. Uncle Brendon opened the door. Clare was holding Riley's hand while muttering a spell. The lights flickered repeatedly then shattered, sending glass everywhere. Stefan covered Elena with his jacket. Riley coughed up blood, shaking violently. Uncle Brendon rushed over to the bed. Clare was thrown against the wall. Her uncle used an anesthetic to get Riley to sleep…

~Riley~

Riley woke up, breathing heavily. She was in a hospital room. It was completely trashed with glass all over the floor and blood on her sheets. She could hear her father speaking to someone outside the room. He mentioned John and an accident at the Lockwood mansion. As she sat up, she felt a pain in her side. She could not get the image of Elijah killing that girl out of her head. It was not a normal dream. She knew that it had to be some kind of memory. Her father entered the room. Not saying a word, he squeezed her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Dad"

"Riley, thank goodness. I thought—I didn't think you'd ever wake up"

"Why am I here?"

"You fainted. You've been in a coma for two weeks"

"Two we—Elijah…is he okay?"

"Let's not worry about him. It's more important that you're safe"

"What happened to the room?"

Her father explained that Clare, one of their witch friends, had tried to wake her up with magic. The spell backfired, causing the destruction. Her mother was driving Clare to the airport.

"I should run some tests before"

"No. I just want to go home, Dad"

"Riley, I don't think"

"I feel great. I want to sleep in my bed, not in a hospital. Is that okay?"

"I'm calling you every hour and you better answer. If you don't, you're coming straight back here"

He returned her to the house. Riley walked into her room and opened her closet. She sifted through her clothes, pulling out Elijah's coat. Going downstairs, she placed the coat around her shoulders. She kept reliving the same moment at the dinner party when Alaric pierced Elijah with the dagger. Sitting on the floor, she stared at one of her scented candles. The flame would extinguish then reappear multiple times. She heard the house phone ring from the kitchen. Her nails dug into the floor at the sound of Damon's voice. He left a voicemail for her father, asking him to retrieve John from the boarding house. She grabbed her car keys and stood up to leave the room. One of the floorboards made a strange creaking sound. She lifted it up, finding papers, including a map. The map had red _X_ marks over different countries. On the bottom of the map was a list of dates, going all the way back to the year 780. Across each date was a surname and a city. She hid the map in her pocket and drove to the boarding house. Damon was the one to open the door.

"Ri" he started.

Unable to control her anger, she punched him. He held his nose.

"I'm guessing you're still mad after two weeks"

She sent him a text. He checked his phone and looked at her, incredulously.

"Oh come on, you're not going to talk to me? I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the plan but if I did, you would've stopped me. Elijah was never on our side. By the way, Mr. Fancy is currently down in the basement but you're not going anywhere near him. I'm not letting you take out that dagger"

Riley pushed him aside, entering the house. Elena, Stefan, and John were in the living room. Seeing Riley, Elena jumped up and hugged her.

"Riley, I'm so glad you're awake. I'm so sorry about what happened. I didn't know that Elijah linked the two of you. If I did, I wouldn't have daggered him"

"What?"

"You didn't—the dagger has to stay in but Damon didn't know that. Elijah came after me at the lake house and I daggered him again. How are you feeling?"

"I'm freakin peachy, Elena. I don't want to talk to you. I'm just here to pick up John"

"Riley" said Stefan, sensing her anger.

"John, you have five seconds to get to the car or you can walk back to my house" she told John, not looking at Elena or Stefan.

Riley left the boarding house and sat in her car. Seconds later, John got into the passenger seat. As she drove, both she and John were silent. She stopped him from entering the house.

"Let's stop with your mind games, John. If you know something, just tell me. Haven't you messed with my life enough? I'm your niece. Show some shred of compassion"

"I know this is hard for you, Riley. I'm not going to lie and say that I have all of the answers. It's better if we talk inside"

John brought her into the living room. He moved in front of a bookcase and grabbed a book from the top shelf. Opening it, he took out a key. He showed it to Riley.

"It's a key"

"It opens a chest"

"This isn't a pirate adventure, John"

"Can you tone down the snark and just listen to me? The chest is hidden in a cave outside of Mystic Falls. Isobel told me where it is"

"Oh joy, the ex-girlfriend vampire is involved" she said, sarcastically.

"It will give you all the answers you need, Riley. After the sacrifice, we'll go there together. You can't go by yourself because it's too dangerous"

"Fine. I'll believe you…for now. I'm too tired to argue"

"You shouldn't be angry with Elena. The Originals can't be trusted. She did the right thing. You'll understand that"

Riley headed up to her room. A sudden chill ran down her spine. Passing it off as nothing, she laid on her bed. She spent the next two days inside the house. Her parents did not want her running around and ending up in the hospital again. She ignored texts from her friends, except for Jayden. Though John and her parents claimed that Riley would have done the same if in Elena's situation, she refused to forgive her. When Riley had been distrustful of Stefan and Damon, Elena always assured her that they were good people. She expected Elena to trust her judgment about Elijah. He had saved Damon's life three times but it was not enough to prove that he was on their side. Jayden did not know the real reason for the fight between her and Elena, only that it involved Elijah.

After her stay in the hospital, Riley's emotions had gone haywire. She would go through intense mood swings, ranging from anger to sadness. It was not a good sign when she almost broke a glass during dinner. Riley had just gone downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was cooking breakfast. She sat at the counter, deleting texts from Elena.

"Riley, this fight is silly"

"It's not silly. Obviously, they think I'm an idiot"

"That isn't true. Can you blame them for not trusting a stranger?"

"He wasn't going to hurt Elena"

"Sweetheart, I know he said that but"

"But what? You think he was tricking me? That I was dumb enough to believe his lies?"

"I didn't say that. I just—the fact is that when he was daggered, you were affected"

"For the millionth time, he did nothing to me!"

Flames shot up from the stove. Her mother frantically turned the dial. Riley was irritated that everyone accused Elijah of hurting her. They had no actual proof that he caused her coma. Instead of waiting for breakfast, she grabbed an apple and walked to school. She kept her head down, not wanting to deal with all of the stares. Since she had been in the hospital for such a long time, everyone acted like she was a fragile doll. There were cards taped to her locker, saying encouraging things like _Glad you're better! _and _Missed you!_. Riley ripped the cards off of her locker, tossing them into a trash can. Jayden smiled, walking over to her.

"Not a fan of cards today?"

"Nope"

"Are you sure you don't need more time to rest?"

"I'm not going to drop dead in the middle of the hallway, Jay. I'm still a little tired sometimes"

He put his arm around your shoulders. "Well I'm here for you, Ri. Are you up for the dance tonight?"

The school was throwing a 60s decade dance tonight. Though her parents would advise her to rest, she wanted to have fun. She was not going to sit around her house, moping. Entering the History classroom, she agreed to attend the dance. They talked about costume ideas. Her smile faltered as Elena stood in front of her desk.

"Riley, please stop being mad at me. I'm sorry about what happened but…I was only protecting you and everyone else I care about"

"Riley says that she doesn't forgive you" said Jayden.

"She didn't even say anything to you, Jayden"

He shrugged. "I know her like an open book. We can read each other's expressions. Right now, she's saying to leave her alone. I'd listen before you get a book thrown at you"

"Riley, can you just talk to me? I don't want to deal with the silent treatment forever"

Elena noticed Elijah's coat around Riley's chair. Sadness flashed through her eyes. She sat at her desk next to Bonnie.

"So what did she say about him that was so horrible? It wasn't the age thing because I've said that a lot"

"Just drop it, Jay. I don't want to talk about him"

Alaric walked into the classroom, carrying his notebook. Riley felt that chill down her spine again. There was something different about his demeanor. He seemed a bit confused about his surroundings. Dana reminded him that due to the dance, they were discussing the 60s in class. Riley opened her notebook to take notes. Alaric was staring at her, a small smirk on his face. He discussed various events of the 60s.

"The Cuban Missile thing. We uh walked on the moon. Watergate"

"Watergate was the 70s, Ric…uh I mean, Mr. Saltzman" said Elena.

"Right. It all kind of mushes together up here. Thank you, Elena"

During class, Alaric continued to act strange. She wondered if it had to do with Jenna's absence. After her last class, she followed Jayden to his car. Garrett and Cameron were leaning against the car, talking. When he saw Riley, Garrett smiled.

"Hey Ri, I have something to tell you from a guy in school"

"Are you really sinking that low now, Cam? Using friends to get dates?" asked Jayden, throwing his backpack into the trunk.

Cameron shoved his shoulder, shooting him a mocking glare. "I'm not that desperate"

"What guy?" asked Riley, curiously.

"His name's Klaus. He said he can't wait to see you at the dance tonight. He hopes you'll save him a dance under the moonlight. He really wants to meet you face to face" said Garrett.

Jayden snickered, thinking Klaus was some pathetic freshman. Cameron became slightly jealous. During the car ride to her house, he questioned her about Klaus. He did not stop until Jayden threw an empty soda can at his head. Jayden told her that he would pick her up for the dance. It was obvious that Garrett had been compelled by Klaus. She was unsure if he was at the school or somewhere else in town. Damon sent her a text. Dana had also been compelled by Klaus to tell Elena that he would be at the dance. He offered to let her be part of their plan to take down Klaus tonight. She got dressed for the dance, wearing a tie-dye mini dress with a blue headband and white go-go boots.

When she and Jayden arrived at the school, the gym was already packed. Dana was on the stage, putting on a song for Elena. It was supposedly a special dedication from Klaus. They went over to the drinks table. Alaric was standing there.

"Hey Mr. Saltzman"

"Hello…Jayden. Is Riley your date?"

For a brief second, she thought Alaric sounded envious. Jayden shook his head.

"Wh—no. We just came here together"

"Jayden!" she heard, recognizing Alison's voice.

"I'll be right back. Let me just ditch Alison. I'll run into the girl's bathroom so that she gets distracted by the mirrors"

Jayden ran out of the gym. Alison chased after him. Riley suppressed a smile and grabbed a cup of punch. It had already been spiked with vodka. Damon walked towards her, already ruining her fun.

"Hey my favorite shorty. You look very sexy"

She glared, drinking her punch. He pinched her arm.

"Stop with the silent treatment. Ric, tell her that we were just protecting her"

"Why is she mad?" he asked.

"Because of the whole Elijah thing. If you talk to me again, I'll let you see him. You can tell him all about your fun time at the dance"

She was not going to forgive him easily. He taunted that if she still gave him the silent treatment, she could not help with their amazing plan. She simply shrugged.

"Have it your way"

"That special dedication, huh? This guy's a little twisted"

"I'm not impressed" said Damon.

"No?"

"Let me know if you see anything out of whack. If you change your mind, Miss Moody, come find me"

Damon moved through the crowd. Riley stayed by the drinks table. She hoped that Jayden did not have to avoid Alison for the entire night. Cameron had just asked her to dance for the tenth time. After she threatened to rip out his throat, he scowled and went over to a group of ditzy girls.

"Damon was right. You do look very sexy tonight"

She choked on her punch and looked at Alaric. "What?"

"I'm being honest. Would you like to dance?"

"Ric, I'm pretty sure that you would get fired"

"You would be worth it"

"Are you drunk?"

Jayden returned to the table. His plan to ditch Alison had worked and he locked her in the bathroom. He took Riley's hand, bringing her onto the dance floor. The song was for a slow dance. He held her waist.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring Elijah. I mean, he's not in high school but he could've been put down as a chaperone. Damon always gets to be one"

"He uh left town"

"Already? My dad said he was researching for a history book"

"He went to somewhere else for his research. I'm not sure if he's coming back"

"You really liked him, huh?"

"We were just friends, Jay"

Even as she said it, Riley knew that was a lie. She thought about the kiss they shared at the dinner party. They never even had time to talk about their feelings before he was daggered and left in a dirty basement. Tears brimmed her eyes.

"Riley?"

"I need to go to the bathroom. I feel a little sick. I'll be right back"

Riley left the gym. She sat on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. As she calmed herself down, wiping at her eyes, she heard Elena. She, Alaric, and Bonnie were walking around the corner. Elena hurried over to her.

"Riley, we need to find Jeremy. Klaus has him"

"What?"

"Klaus has Jeremy. You should stay with us"

"Don't worry, Riley. I've got you" said Alaric, grabbing her wrist.

Alaric led them through the hallway. Riley could not shake the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It only seemed to happen when she was near him.

"Where's Jeremy?" asked Bonnie, worried.

He chuckled. "I just had to get away from that dance. The 60s…not my decade. I mean, whose call was that anyway? I much prefer the 20s…the style, the parties, the jazz"

Riley moved away from him, confused. Elena believed that he was under compulsion.

"I'll give you a hint. I am not Alaric"

"Klaus" said Elena, frightened.

He grinned. "Surprise"

"N—no, it's not possible"

"Just relax, Elena, you're not on my hit list tonight. But you are" he said, his eyes on Bonnie.

Bonnie used magic to make him slam into the lockers. He merely chuckled, telling them that he had a witch on his side. The witch had strengthened his body so a tiny spell would have no effect on him. Even if they killed Alaric's body, he would possess someone else. Riley, Bonnie, and Elena ran down the hallway. They split up with Bonnie and Elena going one way and Riley running for the gym. She was pushed against the wall. Klaus smirked, his eyes traveling over her body.

"I have to say, I was more excited to meet you than your cousin, Riley. It's nice to put a face to the blood you taste"

He leaned closer to her and sniffed her neck. Her eyes widened in realization. Klaus had been the vampire that attacked her in France. She remembered how the stake barely affected him. Only the Originals could survive a wooden stake. He twirled her hair around his finger.

"It's very hard to forget a girl like you. You've kept me up many nights, thinking about that encounter. When I have my real body, perhaps you'll be more willing to give me another taste"

"I'd rather gouge out my eyes" she hissed.

"Such a feisty girl"

Riley felt a warm sensation in her hand. A ball of blinding white light emerged, striking Klaus. He crashed into the ceiling and fell onto the floor. She ignored the pain in her stomach and ran into the gym. Finding Jayden, she asked him to bring her home. He drove back to her house. Her parents were still at work. She called both of them to warn them about Klaus. Waiting for them, she sat in the living room. Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. It was a call from Elena.

"Hello?"

"H—hey Riley" she said, sniffling.

"Have you been crying?"

Elena told her what had happened at the school with Klaus. Bonnie pretended to die so that Klaus believed no one else could hurt him. At the time, Elena thought she was truly dead. She apologized for daggering Elijah.

"When I saw that you had his coat, I—Riley, I didn't realize…I'm sorry"

"It's okay. I can't stay mad at you forever, especially with Klaus around here. Are you okay?"

"I've been better. Tonight made me realize that Klaus could kill anyone I care about. I'm going to make it up to you"

"Elena, I don't need anything"

"Yes, you do. I'm going to fix it. Be careful"

"You too"

Riley hung up and stayed in the living room, keeping a wooden stake next to her…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. The dream that Riley kept having while in her coma is going to be very important. It does relate to her connection with Elijah and Klaus. Now that she knows that Klaus was the one to attack her, it's going to definitely put her on edge since that was the only time that a vampire attacked her. That attack is still in the back of her mind. Klaus tends to be impulsive so he's not going to hide the fact that he wants her blood. It's a big contrast to Elijah, who maintains self control around her.  
**


	11. The Road Trip

Later that night, Riley's parents returned home. Riley had stayed in the living room, not daring to go to sleep until she was sure both of her parents were safe. Her father grabbed a box from his study. It contained many elixirs that they obtained from their witch friends over the years. One of the elixirs was placed on the doorway to prevent Klaus from entering the house. Since Klaus was currently possessing Alaric's body, her father was unsure if he could step into the house because Alaric had been invited inside a few times. Riley told her parents about her encounter with Klaus and the revelation that he had been the vampire to attack her in France. She also opened up to them about her magical abilities. Though they could act very well, their shocked expressions made it clear that they never made the connection between the incidents in the council records and Riley being capable of magic. She believed that John had some kind of explanation but her parents were not willing to trust him. Her mother found it suspicious that John never mentioned anything to them, even before they left Mystic Falls.

Riley was sitting in the passenger seat of her car. Her parents had expected her to stay in the house until they figured out a way to handle Klaus. She decided to take matters into her hands and contacted John. With Klaus already in town and able to possess anyone, Riley wanted to understand her magic. John was the key to those answers. She convinced John to take her to the cave outside Mystic Falls. They were twenty minutes away from the town, at a rest stop near Charlottesville. She opened her purse and looked at the map that she had found under her floorboards. After her parents left for work, she had snuck into her father's study, taking all of his documents on the Original family. The drawing of seven stick figures under a large oak tree made much more sense to her when she thought about her dreams. She assumed that the first two people were Elijah's parents and the other five were Elijah and his siblings, including Klaus and Rebekah. One of his siblings appeared to be different from the rest, due to the intertwined sun and moon drawn above his head.

John entered the car, holding a soda bottle. "Sure you didn't want anything?"

"No. I'm not here for some road trip where we'll make lots of cute memories. You're supposed to be helping me. Every minute you waste is another minute closer to Klaus finding me again and possibly killing me"

"Where did you get that map?"

"It was hidden in my room. Any idea what it means?"

He took the map from her. Studying it for a few minutes, he deduced that it followed her mother's ancestry. The surnames were what her ancestors used during that time and the city was where whoever wrote the map found them. Considering it was hidden in the Gilbert mansion, he guessed that it had been the handiwork of a Gilbert. She questioned why her maternal ancestors changed their names frequently over the centuries. Being his usual cryptic self, he did not answer her and continued to drive down the road. As they entered the woods, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Elena was calling her. Riley had ignored her past ten calls this morning. She did not fully forgive Elena for her part in daggering Elijah. It took more than one conversation to fix their friendship. Hesitantly, she answered the phone.

"Riley, finally. Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"Well normally, that means I don't want to talk to someone"

"Y—you're still mad at me?"

"Very. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check on you. Alice thinks that you're at my house right now with Bonnie and Caroline. Where are you?"

"That is on a need to know basis and you really don't need to know. I'm not in Mystic Falls right now but I'm safe"

"What do you mean, you're not in Mystic Falls?" she asked, confused.

"What part do you not understand? I'm _not_ in Mystic Falls. I can't get much clearer than that. Maybe Stefan and Damon can help you figure it out. I'm sure with your heads put together, you can understand it. I should be back later. Be a good cousin and keep pretending that I'm with you in case my parents call"

Riley hung up the phone. John, overhearing the conversation, did not look pleased.

"You're still angry with Elena?"

"I'm angry with you too but my curiosity about what you know is overpowering my anger towards you. Despite my size, I am capable of a lot of rage. Don't start lecturing me on how I should always forgive family or some other advice that you got from a fortune cookie"

John stopped the car at the end of a dirt path. Getting out of the car, Riley followed him around the woods. He had her describe her dreams about Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah. She did not leave out any details. He pushed back overhanging branches, revealing the entrance to a cave. They took out their flash lights and walked into the cave, side by side. The cave seemed to extend for miles. After what felt like an hour of walking, moving through multiple tunnels, they reached a dead-end. The cave walls were covered in paintings and rune carvings. He instructed her to find a carving that resembled two entwined snakes. She discovered the carving close to the bottom of the wall. The snakes were colored with white and black paint.

"Found it. Now what?"

"Put your hand against it"

"That's it?"

"According to Isobel"

"Yea, let's trust the word of a woman who was friends with Katherine" she said, sarcastically.

"Riley, do as I say"

Rolling her eyes, she touched the carving. She waited for something to happen but the wall remained the same. As she was about to yell at John, the carving was outlined with a faint golden glow. The cave shook wildly. John lifted her up from the floor. The wall separated, revealing a small enclosure that contained a wooden chest. He opened the chest with the key that was in the bookcase at her house. Inside the chest was a stack of books. She recognized one of them from her dream. It was the book that the witch dropped in the forest when Rebekah grabbed her. John touched the books. He quickly retracted his hand, wrapping a handkerchief around a cut that formed on his palm. Cautiously, Riley picked up the books. She did not feel any sort of pain. John brought her back to the car. She looked at the spine of the top book, seeing the word _Nouri._

"What do you think that means?"

"I don't speak many languages. Your mother would be good for this"

"She doesn't know that I'm here with you. If she found out, she'd send me to live with you permanently and that is a fate worse than death"

As she flipped through the book, she realized that it had detailed accounts of a family's history. Nouri was their surname. She told John that it could be the original surname of her maternal ancestors. John looked at one of the pages, commenting that it was blank.

"You can't see anything on this page? How is that possible?"

"Perhaps it can only be seen by their descendants"

"We went in the cave and got a bunch of books. How does this help me?"

He grabbed a box from the backseat. It was filled with folders of Isobel's research. Taking out a folder with her name, he showed her one of the documents. It had the word _Nouri_ written across the top of the page. He explained that the name was related to a family of witches and warlocks. They were considered the witch version of the Originals, being the first to practice magic. The family had been capable of transferring their magic to other people, leading to other witch bloodlines. One page of the book depicted a family tree. It stopped with the Cranes, her mother's maiden name. The aramaic writing in all of the books made it difficult to understand any of the writing. She could not even open the book from her dream. It was sealed with a magical lock. The reason that vampires felt attracted to her blood was that the first witches drew their power from nature. To a vampire, her blood was like tasting sunlight, something that eluded most of their kind.

"So Isobel thought that I was descended from the people who created magic"

"From your dream, I assume the witch you saw was an ancestor. She cast a spell to connect her bloodline to those three Originals. It's the reason why you feel their pain and they feel yours, Riley"

"That doesn't make sense, John"

"Why not? It fits perfectly"

"Because in the 1800s, the map says that my ancestors were in England. That's nowhere near New Orleans"

"You're putting too much thought into this. These books will help you learn magic"

"Why doesn't my mother have magic then?"

"Between the 1800s and now, something happened to your family. I'm not sure if the Originals are to blame but Isobel said that your family lost its magic. Somehow, you inherited it. I think it's time to leave"

As John drove back to Mystic Falls, Riley had questions swirling in her head. She believed that Isobel was right about her mother's ancestors. At the same time, she could not stop thinking about her dream. There was some connection to New Orleans. John suggested that the map did not track all of her ancestors. He parked in front of her house.

"I wouldn't tell your parents where we were today…not until we have a better understanding of your magic"

"I won't tell them. Can I ask you something? That night you left me in the clinic with the vampires, did you leave me on purpose? Be honest"

"Those vampires were never after me. I paid them to chase after you. Isobel was already thinking that you had a connection to those witches and I decided to test it"

"What if you were wrong? You were going to let me die because of some hunch? There was no other way for you to test me. I had to be almost killed for you to see that I could do magic. That's great"

"Riley"

"No, it's fine. What else would I expect from you? Let's hope you don't do the same to Elena"

Riley entered her house and hid the books under her bed. She heard someone knock on the door. Heading downstairs, she checked the enchanted candle in the living room. If a name was spoken to the candle, the flame would turn green when that person was outside the house. Her father used it for both Klaus and Alaric. The flame did not change color. Taking a precaution, she picked up a wooden stake from the closet and hid it behind her back. She opened the door. The stake fell from her hand when she saw Elijah.

"You're alive"

"Yes. Elena removed the dagger. I know that you're angry with her at the moment. I would come in but"

"Come in" she said, taking him inside and kissing him.

Elijah pulled away. "Riley"

"Stop talking"

Riley kissed him again, tugging on his shirt collar. She blindly led them up to her bedroom. Elijah lifted her up from behind, placing her on top of her dresser. Her arms wrapped around his neck. He deepened the kiss as his hand pushed up her skirt. She jumped at the sound of the front door opening downstairs. Hastily, she shoved him into her closet and laid down on her bed, pretending to read a book. Her mother entered the room.

"Riley, I didn't expect you to be home. I thought you were with Elena"

"She had to get ready for a date with Stefan. You're back from work early"

"I forgot one of my binders for a meeting. Your father is taking on a double shift at the hospital so he won't be home earlier than midnight. I should be back around the same time, maybe a little later. If you don't feel safe by yourself, call me and I'll come straight home"

"I'll remember that. Have a good meeting"

She peeked out the window, waiting for her mother to drive down the street. Elijah emerged from the closet.

"I need my own house" she said, exasperated.

His hand brushed against her cheek. "I've missed you. I know you had nothing to do with what happened at the dinner party"

"If I did, I would've gotten you out of the house before Damon could go through with his stupid plan. I'm guessing Elena undaggered you so you could help with Klaus"

"I hope my brother did not harm you"

"I think I did more damage to him"

Riley spent the next ten minutes, telling him what he had missed since the dinner party. She mentioned being in a comatose state for two weeks, just moments after he was pierced with the dagger. Seeing the concern in his eyes, she assured him that she woke up without any lasting damage. She also described her dreams about Elijah and his siblings to explain the connection between them. When she confessed that Klaus had once attacked her before her return to Mystic Falls, she felt Elijah's grip tighten on her hand.

"He didn't bite me again. My magic kicked in and took care of him"

"Are you in control of this magic?"

"Pfft, no. I just found out about it. I'm still thinking that John is crazy and it's all coincidence. There are a few gaps to fill in but for the most part, I'll be able to learn more…once I learn aramaic"

"Perhaps I could translate"

"I don't think you can read the books. John couldn't and he said it might only be visible to descendants of that bloodline. I'll figure it out. Until then, I'll just hope that anytime I see your brother, my magic shows up"

"I will not let him near you again, Riley"

"So where's Elena?"

Elijah told her that Elena was taking care of Jenna. Klaus had snuck into her house and revealed the existence of vampires. It did not take long for Jenna to believe him because Stefan had arrived at the house to save her and she saw his 'vampire face'. Elijah had been discussing his history with Katherine with Elena and how the sun and moon curse was fabricated by him and Klaus, who wanted to break an entirely different curse. Before walking over to Riley's house, he asked Elena to return there after comforting Jenna. They sat in the living room. Riley showed him the drawing of his family. He pointed out that he was the eldest, followed by Finn, Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah. Klaus was the stick figure with the symbol over his head.

"Where are your other siblings?"

"Buried at sea by Klaus. The two of us are the only remaining members of the Original family"

"I'm sorry. I mean, I didn't know them but from my dream, Rebekah seemed…interesting. What did that witch do to Kol?"

"He was harassing her at a tavern. He had caught her scent and attempted to bite her so she cast a spell on him. It made him rot from the inside. I am not proud of my actions that night"

"It's in your past. People learn from their mistakes. I know you're different now. Did you know them really well?"

"No. We thought the line had died with the girl's mother. She was killed by other vampires. I suppose she had another child to carry on her legacy"

Elena walked into the living room. She sat beside Riley, awkwardly playing with her hands.

"How's Jenna?" asked Riley.

"She's in shock but she'll be okay"

Elijah looked at Riley. He made a subtle nod towards Elena. Understanding what he meant, she silently mouthed in protest. She gave in, sure that this was a losing battle, and muttered quietly to Elena.

"What?"

"I'm not mad at you anymore. Let's just put it behind us and focus on more important things"

Elena hugged her, sighing with relief. Riley asked Elijah about the actual curse. He explained that Klaus and their father had a terrible relationship. It became worse when he and his children were turned into vampires by their mother's spell, exposing the truth about Klaus's own father. Their father killed him and his entire family as revenge, leading to a war between vampires and werewolves.

"So when Klaus became a vampire, you somehow knew that his real father was a werewolf" said Riley.

"After his first kill"

"If his father was a werewolf, what does that make Klaus? A werewolf…or a vampire?" asked Elena.

"He's both"

Riley looked at the stick figure that represented Klaus in the drawing. The intertwined sun and moon symbol represented that he was a vampire and werewolf.

"That can't be possible. Nature is all about balance. There is no way nature would be okay with some super hybrid that's got the abilities of a werewolf and a vampire"

"You're correct, Riley. That is why witches placed a curse on my brother to keep his werewolf side dormant"

Elijah confirmed that this curse was what Klaus truly wanted to break through the sacrifice. If he could trigger his werewolf side, he could sire his own bloodline of hybrids, which would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. The dagger would be useless against him because of his werewolf gene. Elijah's plan was to attack Klaus during the full moon when he would be vulnerable during his transition. If Bonnie channeled enough power, it could kill him. The attack needed to happen after the sacrifice but he could revive her with his special elixir. They headed over to the boarding house to discuss their new plan. Stefan and Damon were fighting in the living room.

"Stop!" said Elena.

"Now you invited him in?" asked Damon.

"We renewed the terms of our deal"

"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands. I only ask for one thing in return. An apology" said Elijah.

Damon scoffed under his breath. Stefan apologized to Elijah for his role in daggering him and swore that he would always protect Elena. Riley knew that pigs would fly before Damon ever gave an apology. Even after Elena told him that Elijah had a way to keep her alive, he refused, leaving the room.

"That was tame for him. If he was really mad at you, he would've tried to shove the dagger in you again"

Riley chose to stay at the boarding house for the night. She thought it was a bad idea to leave Elena alone with just Stefan and Damon. Considering Damon hated this plan and tended to be impulsive, he could do something drastic to keep Elena away from the sacrifice. She was sitting in her room, looking through one of the books from the cave. Before leaving her house, she had hid the book in her purse. The door opened and Elijah entered the room.

"I see you're still awake"

"I'm trying to translate this book. So far, google translate is failing"

"I'm quite fluent in many languages. I could help you" he said, sitting beside her.

She smiled. "Are you going to be my handsome professor? Do I get a something when I'm right?"

"We'll see"

Riley wrote down one of the passages in the book. Elijah translated each sentence. Within a couple hours, she was getting a good grasp on the words.

"Your turn" he said, pointing at a sentence.

"I call…upon…the spirit"

"Correct" he said, pecking her on the lips.

"That's very good incentive to get all of this right. If you keep doing that, I will be the fastest learner in history"

For the rest of the night, they had their language lessons. Riley had not felt this cheerful since the dinner party. Just being with Elijah made her happy. The next day, she, Elijah, Elena, and Stefan were going over the plan. The full moon was tonight, meaning it was time for the sacrifice. Damon entered the room, questioning why they would let Klaus break the curse if it would turn him into a deadly hybrid. He brought up their old plan involving Bonnie. Elena reminded him that Bonnie would die if she used too much power.

"I'll write her a great eulogy"

"I could help Bonnie with my magic" said Riley, thinking that their combined magic would be strong enough to kill Klaus.

Elena and Stefan looked at her, surprised. "Your what?" asked Damon.

"Well, fireplace that mysteriously spoke"

"We're still doing this silent treatment, huh?"

"Don't interrupt me, fireplace. As I was saying, I can do magic"

"Riley, you have no grasp of your magical abilities. It would be far too dangerous" said Elijah.

Elena agreed, not wanting to put her or Bonnie in danger. Elijah went over each part of the sacrifice, including the release of the spell within the moonstone and the deaths of a vampire, werewolf, and doppelganger. He opened a box, taking out a vial of clear liquid. When Katherine was going to be sacrificed to break the curse five hundred years ago, he acquired the elixir.

"That's your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date? I'd take a better chance on Riley's sudden magical powers. What about John's ring?" asked Damon.

"The ring only works on humans. The doppelganger is a supernatural occurrence. Odds are that it would not work"

"I'll take those odds over your elixir. What if it doesn't work, Elena?"

She shrugged. "Then I'll just be dead"

Damon was frustrated with her answer. Stefan followed him out of the room. Elena looked at Riley, asking her what she meant by magic. Riley informed her that she was descended from the original witch bloodline.

"Do Alice and Brendon know about that?"

"Not everything. I just found out yesterday. John took me to this cave outside of town. We found a bunch of books. It's kind of hard to read what's in them but I have a good teacher"

"Get out!" she heard Jenna say.

They hurried towards the front door. Jenna was holding a crossbow, directing it at Alaric. Riley tried to summon any kind of magic. Nothing appeared in her hand.

"Damn it. You're lucky, psycho. If there was a ball of fire in my hand, I'd be using it to burn you to a crisp"

Alaric insisted that he was himself, no longer being possessed by Klaus. Last night, Klaus was returned to his own body. He sent Alaric to inform Elena that the sacrifice would happen tonight. Klaus was using his apartment as a hideout and Katherine was there. Yesterday, Damon had visited the apartment with Andie to give Katherine some vervain. They sat in the living room while Elena went upstairs to find Damon. Riley stared at her hand, crinkling her nose.

"Riley, it will become more natural over time" said Elijah, resting his hand over hers on the couch.

"It was natural when I was mad at your brother"

"Fear and anger easily trigger magic"

"You can do magic now?" asked Alaric.

"Yea, I kind of hurt you at the dance. Sorry about that. I'm going to try this outside"

Riley sat outside, reading the book. She focused on creating a ball of fire in her hand. After six failed attempts, a small flame formed and she moved it between her hands. She heard shouting from inside the boarding house. Damon left, wiping blood from his mouth. She extinguished the flame in her hand.

"I know you're mad at me. You have every right to be. I wanted to tell you the plan but then I saw what was going on between you and Fancy Pants"

"Is this your version of an apology?"

"Pretty much. If I knew that you would've been affected by the dagger too, I wouldn't have done it. I told Stefan that it didn't matter but it did. Right now, I really need a friend"

"What happened in there? What did you do?"

"Why do you assume I did something?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Damon"

"I fed Elena my blood so that she could come back as a vampire after Klaus kills her. If you want to hit me, you can get in line"

"Let's go to the grill. I think we both need a drink. You can drink to forget what you just did and I can forget that John almost let me die when I was seven as some kind of twisted experiment"

Riley and Damon walked over to the Mystic Grill. Matt was watching him, carrying a trash of dishes. As they passed, Matt grabbed her arm. Damon sat at the bar.

"Riley, have you seen Caroline?"

"I haven't been out today. Is something wrong?"

"I just need to—look, you shouldn't be hanging out with Damon. He's trouble"

"Matt"

"I'm going to try to call her again. Just take my advice, okay?"

Matt left the grill, calling Caroline. Riley went over to the bar. She convinced the bartender to give her a glass of scotch. Damon was like a wounded puppy. He did not say a word, just drinking from his glass. She was worried about Caroline. Knowing her, she would instantly text Matt back or answer his calls. She waited for Caroline to reply to at least one text. Minutes later, Alaric joined them.

"I figured you'd be here. Riley, you should tell us if you're leaving. Elijah was worried" he whispered.

"Damon needed a few drinks. Caroline isn't answering her phone"

"You think something happened to her? Does she know that Klaus isn't possessing me anymore?"

"Yea, I warned her. Maybe she got stuck hanging out with her mom for some bonding time"

"I screwed up" said Damon.

Alaric nodded, sitting next to Riley. She took Damon's glass, not wanting him to get drunk.

"Gentlemen, why so glum?"

Riley tensed up, recognizing that voice. She had heard it in her dreams over and over again. Klaus walked over to the bar, standing next to Damon. Now that he had his own body, he was speaking with a British accent. He looked very similar to his appearance in her dreams except that his hair was much shorter and he had light stubble. She stared at her glass as Damon confronted him.

"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelganger. Just thought I'd remind you not to do anything you'd regret"

Damon let out a small laugh. "Thanks for the advice"

Riley could feel Klaus's eyes on her. Cracks formed in her glass. Damon asked if he could postpone the sacrifice for at least a month. Klaus mentioned that he had the vampire, werewolf, and doppelganger so nothing would stop him from breaking the curse. Riley thought of Caroline and her random disappearance, anxious that Klaus had chosen to kill her for the sacrifice.

"If you want to live, don't screw it up"

"Here's another offer. If you postpone it like a month, you can get a night with Riley"

Her fists clenched in anger. Alaric glared at him.

"I guarantee a great time. She's a fun girl"

Riley bashed his head into the counter and left the grill. She called Caroline repeatedly, walking down the street. The calls went straight to voicemail.

"Caroline, please pick up. If you don't call me back right away, I'm going to come find you and if a certain psycho vampire is listening to this voicemail, I will kill you with my bare hands"

"That's quite the threat"

She closed her phone and turned around, facing Klaus. He smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"If you take one step towards me, I'll hurt you again"

"You're very confident, considering you have no idea how to control that magic"

"You want to take that chance?"

"I do like to take risks"

Using his vampire speed, he snatched her phone and backed her against the wall. She tried to knee him in the groin. He blocked her hand.

"Need to be quicker than that, love. Katerina told me that you got close to my brother. Did he have a taste before his unfortunate demise?"

"No. Unlike you, he can control himself"

"He always did have excellent restraint. It is a pity. He's missing out. Would you like to be a guest at the ritual tonight? You could see for yourself just how powerful I'm about to become"

"You can have all the power you want. You're still weak and pathetic"

Klaus groaned in pain. A stake had pierced his side. Her father stepped out from behind an alley. He was holding one of his stake guns. Klaus removed the stake, snarling.

"I think it's time you stay away from my daughter. These stakes might not kill you but seeing you hurt is good enough for me"

"Daddy to the rescue again, is it? How sweet"

"If I catch you near Riley, I'll get someone to really scare you. You wouldn't want me to wake _him_, would you?"

Klaus became paralyzed with fear. Her father kept her next to him.

"You're bluffing"

"Take that chance. Alice and I know where _he _is and she'll get him without a second thought. Keep that in mind"

Riley walked away with her father, confused over what had just happened between him and Klaus. When she questioned what frightened Klaus that badly, he was suspiciously quiet. She begged her father to help her check on Caroline and they headed towards her house…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. All reviews are appreciated. The next chapter is going to cover the sacrifice and the aftermath of it. I'm planning on Riley leaving with Klaus and Stefan so there can be some build up between her and Klaus. Promise to update soon :) **


	12. Sacrifices

When Riley and her father reached Caroline's house, she spent at least ten minutes just knocking on the door. She expected Caroline to answer, dressed in her pajamas and complaining about a stomach flu. After no one answered the door, she found the spare key hidden under a potted plant and used it to enter the house. The house was completely empty and they were both sure that Liz was working at the police station. As she searched Caroline's room for any clue to her whereabouts, she received a text from Damon. He wanted her to meet him at the tomb underneath Fell's church. After their encounter with Klaus at the bar, he decided to visit Katherine at Alaric's apartment, thinking that she was the vampire being killed for the sacrifice. Katherine, being her usual manipulative self, convinced Klaus to use Caroline, in her place, and Tyler as the werewolf. Riley nearly cracked her phone in her hand. She took out her frustration on the chair in front of Caroline's vanity table, kicking it repeatedly.

Though she wanted to help Damon save her friends, she doubted that her father would let her out of his sight. He was not going to want her bumping into Klaus again, especially if he was not around to protect her. She thought up a quick plan and walked downstairs, faking a cough. Her father left the living room.

"No sign of Caroline here. Are you all right?"

"It's just a little cough. Last night, Elena and I stayed up for hours. I think I'm going to go back to the boarding house to check on her and get some rest"

"I'll visit Liz at the station. She'll want to know that Caroline is missing. If you see anything suspicious or feel that you're in danger, call me"

"I will"

Riley stopped at the doorway and looked at him, curiously. "How did you get Klaus to back off so easily? Who were you talking about?"

"Riley, this isn't the right time. Just call it a secret weapon. Go get some rest and I'll find Caroline"

Knowing that her parents were hiding some secret about Klaus but they would not discuss it with her yet, she left the house and hurried over to the church. Damon was at the entrance to the tomb, fighting with another man. He pinned the man to the ground, choking him. When the man raised his hand, sending Damon flying into the air, she assumed that he was a witch. He used one of Bonnie's typical spells, giving Damon an aneurysm. Damon clutched the sides of his head, barely able to open his eyes. Riley waved her hand, casting a spell on the man. His arm bent backwards. She maintained the spell, walking over to Damon. Struggling to keep her concentration, she helped Damon up from the ground.

"You weren't kidding about the magic thing"

"Nope. Can you just knock him out before"

The man broke through the spell, regaining control of his arm. "That happens"

As the man advanced towards her, looking furious, she heard a loud gun shot. A bullet struck his chest and he fell onto his knees. Damon snapped his neck, killing him. Standing a few feet away was Matt, holding a hunting rifle. He pointed the gun at Damon.

"Get away from him, Riley. He's dangerous"

"Matt, just put the gun down"

"No. We can't trust him. He knows what happened to Caroline"

"Listen, man, not a good time to play the hero"

"Where's Caroline?"

Using his vampire speed, Damon grabbed the rifle and hit Matt in the face, knocking him unconscious. He unloaded the rifle and placed it on the ground. Before Riley could even yell at him for hurting Matt, he showed her a couple wooden bullets.

"Look who's trying to be a little Van Helsing"

"He was worried about Caroline. Instead of knocking him out, you could've let me talk to him"

"He was ready to shoot me with these, Riley. What happened with that spell? You're not a very good witch"

She playfully glared. "Funny. I just started learning and it's kind of hard to teach myself when all of the spells are in an ancient language"

"I heard you with your tutor last night. I'm sure you were studying very hard" he replied, sarcastically.

"Bite me. Can we focus on getting Caroline and Tyler?"

Together, they descended into the tomb. Caroline and Tyler were restrained against the wall by chains. While Damon freed Caroline, questioning her about how Matt knew about vampires since she supposedly compelled him to forget, Riley bent down to Tyler. She had not seen him since the night that she, Stefan, and Damon saved Caroline from the werewolves. Their last conversation, where Tyler confronted her about Mason's death, was still fresh in her mind.

"Hey Ri"

"Hey. So um…how was Florida?"

"I learned a lot but I missed some people here. I'm sorry about"

"Don't. I deserved it. I wanted to be honest with you about Mason but I didn't know how to tell you. This town is full of craziness and you were already dealing with the whole werewolf thing. I'm glad you're back. Just hold still"

"_You're _going to break these?" he asked, skeptically.

"You've been gone for a while. I learned a few tricks of my own"

Damon warned her not to let go of Tyler. It was getting dark outside and on a full moon, they would risk getting attacked by him while in his wolf form. Both Riley and Caroline refused to leave without him. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Girls" he muttered.

"I just need to get to my family's cellar" said Tyler.

"Riley and I can help you" suggested Caroline.

Riley touched the chains. A second later, they unlocked, freeing Tyler from the wall.

"How did you"

"Tell you later. Let's go"

The four of them left the tomb. It was now pitch black outside, the full moon shining in the sky. Matt was beginning to wake up, rubbing his cheek. Caroline was angry that Damon had hit him. Tyler grabbed his chest, biting his lip. Seeing that they were running out of time, Riley led him through the woods. Damon received a call from Stefan, telling him that Klaus took Elena from the boarding house.

"He took her already?"

"We'll figure this out, Riley. He's got no vampire and no werewolf. That means no sacrifice can happen, right?"

"Until he tracks us down and kills you and me for interfering with his plans. He's an Original. We can't just put a stake in his heart and he's dead"

"Everything will be okay. Let's get wolf boy to his cellar"

Riley felt a hard tug on her arm. Tyler fell to the ground, his bones cracking due to his transformation. Caroline was optimistic that they could reach the cellar before he turned into a wolf. He urged them to leave him in the woods. His eyes changed to a golden color. He lunged towards Caroline but Damon tackled him. After a small struggle, during which Riley thought she heard a crunching sound, he tossed Tyler aside. Damon told Matt and Caroline to head to the Lockwood cellar, giving Matt the wooden bullets to protect them. He picked up Riley and using his vampire speed, he brought her to the cottage, the site of the witch massacre.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm all good, shorty"

"Maybe if you let me stay with Tyler, I could've done a spell to slow down the transformation"

"Or he could've ripped you to shreds. Let's not take that risk, huh? Stay here. Bonnie and Jeremy are inside, getting prepared for the ritual. I'm going to get Elena back"

"Damon, you can't go anywhere near Klaus. Don't be stupid"

"I call it impulsive"

"Then I'm going with you"

"The hell you are"

He vanished from the cottage. She walked inside, finding Jeremy and Bonnie in one of the rooms. They were surrounded by grimoires, searching for a way to prevent Elena from becoming a vampire.

"Riley, hey. You could help us out with finding a spell. Where's Damon? Weren't you two together?"

"Yea"

"Really? I thought you were resting at the boarding house"

"Dad, not n"

Riley turned around, seeing her father leaning against the doorway. He nodded his head outside. Taking the hint, she followed him out of the cottage. She admitted that she helped Damon to rescue Caroline and Tyler from being part of the sacrifice.

"So instead of being inside somewhere safe, you were running around and risking the chance that you could get killed by a vampire"

"Klaus wasn't there"

"Well then, that makes it all okay" he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Dad, I couldn't let either of them get killed. I need to know what scares him so much"

"Riley"

"Damon went to Alaric's apartment to talk to him. There's very little chance that he'll make it out of there alive. Just tell me what this secret weapon is that you have on Klaus so I can use it against him. Maybe it's enough to make him stop the sacrifice"

"It isn't. I frightened him with it once but if I use it again, he'll call my bluff. He won't waste his time on someone like Damon. Once this plan succeeds, Klaus will be dead and out of our lives"

Stefan, Elijah, and Alaric arrived at the cottage, looking somber. It was like they had just left a funeral. Alaric went into the cottage to speak with Jeremy. Minutes later, Bonnie left with a confused expression. Stefan explained that Klaus had turned Jenna into a vampire. She was going to be his substitute vampire for the sacrifice. When Damon confronted Klaus at the apartment, telling him that he released Caroline and Tyler from the tomb, Klaus compelled Katherine to lure Jenna out of the house.

"I'm sorry. Why the hell could he not use Katherine?" asked Riley.

"It's a punishment for Damon's meddling" said Elijah.

Bonnie proposed a new plan, killing Klaus before the sacrifice in order to save Jenna. Riley agreed, bringing up her original idea to combine her and Bonnie's magic.

"Riley, you will not be put in that kind of danger…neither will Bonnie. It's too much of a risk"

"Well I'll take it if it means Jenna won't die"

"No. We're going to offer him another vampire…me. End of discussion" said Stefan.

"Stefan, you can't"

"I am. We're going to head over to the quarry now. When it's time, I'll call Elijah and he'll bring you there. Keep looking for that spell"

"Riley, are you coming?" asked her father.

"In a minute" she said, looking at Elijah.

Her father and Bonnie returned to the cottage. Riley rested against the fence. Elijah stood in front of her, holding her hand.

"This plan will work, Riley"

"I believe you. Can you just promise me something? It's really important to me. You need to promise that you'll kill him. I'm not usually the type that needs a guy to protect her but…he's the only person that scares me. After he attacked me, I had nightmares for a while and seeing him again makes me nervous. I don't want to experience that again"

"You have my word. My brother will never harm you. After tonight, he will be a distant memory. Promise me that you will not leave here until the plan is complete"

"I promise"

"I will return here and perhaps we could finally get that second date. We could go to the grill and have hamburgers"

She smiled. "You have to kill your brother and you're thinking about having hamburgers with me?"

"I'm very much looking forward to it"

They walked into the cottage. She quickly let go of his hand. Her father eyed them suspiciously. She sat next to Jeremy, intently reading the grimoires. As she stared at a page, her father joined her. He had been on the phone with John. Damon and John were driving to the cottage, bringing the Gilbert journals to provide more clues. At that exact moment, John walked downstairs, carrying a box. He showed the journals to Bonnie, indicating one of the spells.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and Elijah"

"Nope"

"Riley"

"We're just friends"

"I'll pretend to believe that for now"

Damon and Alaric entered the room. She noticed that Damon was sweating a bit. A small part of her worried that he had been hurt during his fight with Tyler. She was distracted by John's plan to save Elena from becoming a vampire. He told them about a story written in one of the Gilbert journals. Emily Bennett, Bonnie's ancestor during that time, cast a spell on a woman to bind her life force to her sick child. When the child died, the mother's life force flowed through her, restoring the child's life. Elena would not turn into a vampire through this spell because her soul would remain intact. Riley's father looked uncomfortable with the plan. He pulled John aside and Riley eavesdropped, hearing bits of their conversation.

"John, you know what that kind of spell will do"

"Of course I do, Brendon. You've always told me that I've failed Elena as a father. This is me making up for my mistakes"

"You don't need to—John, don't do this. I know we've had our differences but you're my brother"

"It's the only way to save her. I won't let her become like them"

Riley did not expect John to die as part of the spell. Her father was clearly upset since he had only lost his older brother just last year. John sat in a chair and Bonnie began to recite the spell, her hands on either side of his head. Once she finished the spell, Damon told her it was time to head to the quarry. Jeremy wanted to go with them. Bonnie kissed him and cast a spell to knock him unconscious. John sat him down in the chair. Riley paced around the room, stuck in the cottage with her father, John, Alaric, and Jeremy. Multiple ways that the plan could fail passed through her mind.

"Riley, it's going to work. Don't be worried" said her father.

"I'm not. I"

Riley felt her ribs crack. She gripped her side, holding onto the table. One by one, her bones were breaking all over her body. She whimpered, breathing heavily. Her father held onto her.

"Riley, what's wrong?"

"Klaus" she whispered.

"What?"

"He finished the ritual. He's turning into a werewolf"

"How could you know that?"

John reached into his pocket, taking out a bottle of blue liquid. It was an elixir that would break the connection between her, Klaus, and Elijah for a few hours. He tipped the bottle into her mouth. Drinking the elixir, she felt the pain subside and sat on the floor. Riley stared at the door, waiting for Elijah to return and confirm that Klaus was dead. She ignored the conversation between her father and John about her connection to three Original vampires. When Jeremy woke up, he sat beside her.

"What's taking them so long?"

"I don't know. He should be dead by now" she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"He will be, Riley. Bonnie's magic will work"

As they waited for everyone else to return, John handed his Gilbert ring and a letter for Elena to Jeremy. They heard the front door open and ran upstairs, finding Elena on the couch with Damon. She was lifeless, the spell not yet taking effect. Jenna had been killed in the sacrifice. Riley hugged Jeremy, comforting him. Her father gripped his shoulder.

"Alice and I are here for you, Jeremy"

"Thanks, Uncle Brendon"

John was standing outside the cottage. Riley walked over to him.

"You're really doing this?"

"It's for Elena. I'm sorry for what I've done to you, Riley. I've made mistakes with both of you. Now that I won't be around, you need to keep her and Jeremy safe. I've always thought you were very special. Here"

He handed her an envelope. It contained papers hidden in Isobel's office. Seconds later, John collapsed to the ground with a soft thud. Elena was awake in the living room. Riley smiled and hugged her.

"Riley"

"I'm glad you're awake. You had me worried there, Ellie"

"I was worried about you too"

"You've always got me"

Jeremy's phone rang. He picked up, answering the call from Bonnie happily. The smile was wiped off of his face.

"What do you mean? Are you sure?"

"What's going on? Did something happen to Bonnie?" asked Elena.

He hung up, closing his phone. "Klaus isn't dead"

Bonnie had channeled a large amount of power to kill Klaus. Elijah was going to rip out his heart until Klaus claimed that he had not gotten rid of their family. When Jeremy explained that Elijah disappeared from the quarry with Klaus, Riley felt completely numb inside. She thought about the promise that Elijah made to her before he left the cottage.

The next two days passed by like a blur. Riley could not even remember returning home. Her last memory was of Jeremy telling her that Klaus did not die after the sacrifice. She holed herself up in her room, hiding herself under her blanket. Her parents attempted to speak with her but she stayed silent. She could not bring herself to attend the funeral for John and Jenna. Whenever she thought of leaving her room, she reminded herself about that night and how Elijah never visited her. The envelope from John was resting on her dresser. She did not bother to open it. All she would do was drink that elixir that lessened her connection to Klaus and Elijah.

Riley was laying in her bed, her eyes on the wall. Her mother entered the room.

"Sweetheart, you can't stay in here forever. I know that you're very upset but your father and I are going to protect you. I don't care that Klaus is some hybrid. If he lays a hand on you, I'll rip out his heart with my bare hands. I'm sure your friends want to see you. If you want to talk, I'm just a phone call away. Try to get out of here for a while"

Riley did not take her eyes off of the wall. A couple minutes later, she went down to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water and opened one of the drawers. The drawer was filled with silverware and some hidden weapons.

"Riley"

Without thinking, she grabbed a stake gun and turned around, pointing it at Elijah. He raised his hands.

"Please put that down"

"Get out"

"I know that you must be very angry with me"

"I'm feeling a wide range of emotions. You probably don't care. Considering what happened, my opinion means nothing to you"

"Riley, that is not true"

She did not move the gun. Elijah stepped out of the kitchen, nearing the front door. He apologized for breaking her promise. Klaus had agreed to reunite him with their family. Her hand was shaking in anger. She could not believe that he trusted Klaus, someone who he had given a million chances over the centuries despite the constant betrayals. Elijah maintained hope that Klaus was capable of change.

"I don't want to hear your optimistic bullshit. You claim to be such an honorable person but you're not. Maybe it's all an act. Maybe you knew the whole time that he was the one who attacked me and you charmed me so you could hand deliver him to me and the two of you could drain me dry. I mean, you did it to one of my ancestors. What's the difference now?"

"Riley, I would never hurt you"

Tears brimmed her eyes. "You manipulated me from the start"

"No"

"Everything was a lie. You played me. You're no better than him. You're just as much of a monster"

"Riley, I care very deeply for you"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any more lies! Get out!"

The house was shaking slightly. Glasses broke in the kitchen and the chandelier above him looked ready to snap from its chain. A warm sensation filled her stomach.

"I'm glad you taught me how to read those spells. I saw a really interesting one in that book. It lets me disinvite vampires from anywhere"

"Riley, don't do this"

"Don't call me. Don't talk to me. Don't come near me"

"Please let me ex" he started.

"GET OUT!"

A burst of energy flowed through her. Elijah was violently thrown out of the house. He slammed into the pavement. Standing up weakly, he looked at her.

"I will not stop caring for you. Even if it takes me fifty years, I will earn your forgiveness"

He vanished from her yard. Her house returned to normal. She wiped her eyes.

"I think I may cry"

Klaus was standing on the porch, his hands in his pockets. His expression did not show any remorse. For a moment, he seemed cheerful.

"Get the hell off my porch. You still need an invitation to get in here and that is never going to happen"

He moved in front of her. "I can see you're upset. I could make you feel better, love"

She shot a stake at his head. He easily dodged it.

"No need to be hostile"

"Get away from me"

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm always available"

Angrily, she slammed the door in his face. She chucked the gun onto the floor. Hours later, after much crying and extinguishing multiple fires that she accidentally conjured, she grabbed her phone and called Damon. The call went straight to his voicemail.

"Hey Damon. I know I've been out of it for a few days but I really need someone to talk to…and I don't need to hear a bunch of romantic crap from Elena right now. Could you meet me at the grill or something? Call me back"

A few minutes later, her phone vibrated. She answered, thinking it was Damon. Instead, Alaric was on the other end of the call.

"Why do you have Damon's phone?"

"Riley, where are you?"

"My house. Why?"

Alaric told her that Damon had a werewolf bite. She knew that he looked strange ever since his fight with Tyler. Damon had escaped from the boarding house, searching for Elena at the park. Alaric asked her to find him before he caused a mess in the town. He was at the cottage with Bonnie and Jeremy. When he, Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy cornered Damon at the grill, Liz accidentally shot Jeremy, killing him. Bonnie was attempting a spell to bring him back to life. Riley changed her clothes and hid a bottle of vervain and a stake in her jacket pockets. She drove towards the park. After running around for at least five minutes, she spotted Damon and Elena near a lamp post. Damon was biting into her neck. Riley ran towards them. Damon pulled away from Elena, looking distraught.

"Elena, do you need a bandage or something?"

"No. It's not a bad bite" she said, covering her neck.

"I hurt her" whispered Damon.

Riley grabbed his chin. "Hey, look at me"

He panted, sweat dripping from his forehead. She poured the vervain into his mouth. With Damon weakened, she and Elena placed him in the backseat of the car and drove back to the boarding house. They laid him down on his bed. While Alaric had been watching over Damon, Stefan left to find Klaus, who he believed would have a cure for the bite. Elena placed a wet towel on his forehead.

"Watch over him. I'm going to try to call my mom. She might have some idea about a cure"

Riley went downstairs. Her mother did not answer any of her calls, most likely teaching a class. The door opened and Katherine entered the boarding house.

"Hello, mini Gilbert. I thought you'd be here too"

"What do you want?"

"I come in peace. I have the cure for a werewolf bite"

"Why are you bringing it instead of Stefan?"

"Well, Stefan just handed himself over to Klaus. It happened after Klaus daggered Elijah"

Her eyes widened. "H—he what?"

"Yea, it was tragic. I already know what you're thinking. Don't do something stupid"

"Damon would call it impulsive"

Ignoring Katherine's warning, Riley drove over to Alaric's apartment. She quietly opened the door. Stefan was sitting on the floor, drinking from a blood bag. Empty blood bags were scattered around him. She had heard stories from Damon that Stefan became crazy when drinking too much human blood. He compared it to being an alcoholic.

"R—Riley, what are you—get out. You shouldn't be here" he whispered.

"Just come with me. You're not going anywhere with Klaus"

A coffin was against the wall. She sensed that Elijah was inside, a dagger in his chest. Unable to resist, she opened the coffin. She was angry with him but did not want him daggered again. Similar to the first time, his skin looked ashy grey. She pulled on the dagger. In the next second, she was pressed against the wall. Klaus was behind her, pinning her hand behind her back.

"You're a very naughty girl. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to touch things that don't belong to you?"

He closed the coffin. "My brother is taking a long nap at the moment. You should be pleased, Riley. You won't have to endure him standing outside your house like a lovesick puppy…writing you little love poems"

"Let Stefan go"

"I'm afraid I can't do it"

"Can't or won't?"

"We've already made a deal"

"I don't care. Stefan is leaving with me or"

"Or what?" he asked, challenging her.

Riley grabbed a knife from the counter. She held it to her throat, threatening to kill herself.

"I'm sure you figured out that there's a connection between me and you. Whatever one feels, the other does too. I bet you didn't know that my ancestors added a little something to that connection. You might be some fancy hybrid but I'm the only thing that can kill you. If I die, you die too"

Klaus looked a bit stunned by this information. She had told a small lie. From her dreams, she had learned that her death by the Originals would kill them but that lie was enough to scare him. She pressed the knife against her throat. He smacked it out of her hand and grabbed her shirt, staring into her eyes.

"You will never attempt that again"

"Compulsion doesn't work on witches, genius"

Klaus smirked. "Very true. I suppose you'll be another addition to our trip. If it's true about this connection, then I can't very well leave you here"

"I am not going anywhere with you"

"Well, that's a shame. If you don't come willingly, I suppose that I'll have to speak with your parents and it won't end well. Your father's had it a long time coming so I would relish ripping his head off. Now, are you going to join us or not?"

Riley nodded. He allowed her to make a short phone call to her parents, warning her that if they followed her, he would kill them without hesitation. She stepped out of the apartment and called her parents. Leaving voicemails, she told them about going out of town with Klaus to protect them. Klaus brought her and Stefan to a storage facility. He compelled two men to place Elijah's coffin in a storage unit with four other coffins.

"Is that true? If you die, he dies?" whispered Stefan.

"I'm not telling you"

"Riley, you can trust me. We're sticking together. I'll get us away from him and back to Mystic Falls"

Elena sent him a text that Damon was feeling better. Klaus asked him if Katherine arrived with the cure in time.

"You know she isn't coming back, right?" said Stefan.

"Because she's on vervain? I've been around for a long time, Stefan. I rarely get played for a fool. Besides, she won't get far. You'll help me see to that"

"What do you really want from me?"

"All will be explained in time. I have a gift for you"

A girl was standing behind one of the crates. Klaus called her over, an innocent tone to his voice. He wanted to see if Stefan would honor their deal. As he bit into her neck, he did not even compel her to be quiet.

"A real ripper enjoys the hunt"

The girl ran away from them, screaming. Stefan chased after her. Not wanting to witness him torture an innocent person, Riley left the building and stayed next to the car. She took out her phone, seeing multiple texts from her friends. The phone was taken out of her hand. Klaus placed it in his pocket.

"Can't have you sending messages while we're gone, love" he said, his hand brushing against her arm.

She glared. "Don't touch me"

"Do I make you nervous?"

"No, you disgust me"

"Perhaps I'll grown on you during our little trip"

"Doubt it"

"You know, I haven't eaten in hours"

"Then go share with Stefan"

"Why would I do that when such sweet blood is right in front of me?"

"Try it and you'll lose your fangs"

Klaus chuckled. He leaned close to her ear.

"I love a challenge"

Disgusted, she opened the door and sat in the backseat, already wanting this trip to end...

* * *

**A/N: Riley's trip with Klaus and Stefan is going to lead some bigger revelations about her witch ancestors. She will gain some surprising enemies and find herself in a dangerous situation where Klaus might need to be the "hero". She is not going to immediately fall for him but she might start seeing another side to him during their time out of Mystic Falls.  
**


	13. Making Hybrids

Months of traveling up and down the East Coast with Klaus and Stefan had been the worst experience of her entire life, even surpassing the time that she lived with John for a week while her parents had gone to Africa for an excavation trip. If she had a choice in her companions, she would rather be with a group of serial killers, though there was not much difference between them and two vampires. At first, she thought Stefan would be on her side. Damon had been joking about his issues with human blood. Slowly, he was losing himself, reverting back to his Ripper self. Watching him drain people dry was very uncomfortable. He acted like a completely different person. The line between his acting to please Klaus and losing control of his humanity was blurred with each kill. It had become so difficult that Riley would not say much to Stefan. Deep down, she worried that he would actually attack her, unable to control himself around her sweet scent.

Even worse than Stefan's slow descent into madness was Klaus and his attempts to charm Riley. He would buy her books and clothes and compliment her. At the same time, he was very controlling of her. He threw away her phone at the start of their trip, not allowing her to call her friends or family, and rarely let her go anywhere by herself. When he looked at her, she did not melt at the sight of his little puppy dog eyes. He simply unnerved her. Looking at him made her relive his attack on her in her mind. The only upside to the trip was that it gave her time to practice her magic. While Klaus and Stefan terrorized multiple homes, searching for werewolves, she would sit in the car, attempting spells. She taught herself a spell that worked similar to compulsion. With the spell, she could control the mind of both people and animals. She had only tried the spells on birds and squirrels.

Riley was walking around a clothing store. They had recently arrived in Tennessee on a tip from one of Klaus's contacts. Klaus and Stefan were interrogating a man outside the store. With their backs turned, she snuck over to the bathroom. An elderly woman was washing her hands. Riley stood beside her. Purposely, she knocked over the woman's purse as she reached for a paper towel. Apologizing, she bent down to pick up the scattered items.

"It's all right, dear. Thank you for helping"

"It's no problem. Give me your phone and keep shopping" said Riley, using the compulsion spell.

The woman's eyes glazed over and she handed Riley her phone. She left the bathroom, a dazed expression on her face. Riley stepped into an empty stall, locking the door. She dialed Jayden's number, waiting for him to answer. The door was ripped off of its hinges. Klaus grabbed the phone and threw it against the wall, breaking it into pieces.

"You can't be in the girls' bathroom. You're not a girl"

"What have I told you about phone calls?"

"I was just"

"Calling your parents to form some plan to return home?"

"No"

He grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the bathroom. "Perhaps it was Damon. You two seemed particularly chummy back in Mystic Falls"

"It was Jayden. It's my birthday and he usually calls me with a dorky message. But since you threw my phone in a lake, I decided to call him"

His grip loosened. He looked at her, surprised.

"It's your birthday?"

She glared. "Yea and instead of celebrating with my friends, I'm on the road trip from Hell"

"Riley, I didn't kn"

"Save it. I don't need some Sixteen Candles bullshit. Just forget it"

Riley left the store, fuming with anger. Stefan chased her down the street. She ignored him when he questioned what had angered her.

"Riley, you can talk to me. I know that you miss Mystic Falls but Klaus won't keep you forever"

"You sound so sure" she replied, sarcastically.

As they passed a shop, she stopped. The shop was filled with 'magical' items. She had learned from her parents' witch friends that most of these places were owned by real witches. Curiously, she entered the shop. It was filled with books, crystals, potions, and other objects.

"Would you like something from here?"

Klaus was standing behind her. "Consider it a birthday gift"

She looked at the jewelry. There was a golden amulet, attached to a golden chain, with an etching of two entwined snakes. It reminded her of the carving in the cave that contained her ancestors' books. She felt drawn to the amulet.

"Riley"

"Your kind isn't allowed in here"

A middle-aged man with graying dark hair left the back room. He was limping behind the counter, leaning on a cane. His eyes were on Klaus.

"Especially you, hybrid" he said, sneering.

"I won't be any trouble, mate. Just browsing for something for the young lady here"

The man looked over at Riley. He tensed up, gripping his cane.

"I—I see. What would s—she like?"

Riley picked up the amulet. "How much is this?"

"It's free. N—no need to uh worry about p—payment"

She thought that Klaus was causing the man's strange behavior. The man gave her a strained smile. Before she could even thank him, Klaus led her out of the shop.

"He was acting weird"

"The perk of being an all-powerful hybrid. No one would dare to cross you"

Riley rolled her eyes. He placed the amulet around her neck, pushing her hair aside. A surge of energy passed through her body. Caught off guard, she stumbled and Klaus held onto her.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded and followed him to the car. As she sat between him and Stefan, one of Klaus's lackeys, who was compelled to drive them and never speak, drove down the road. She twirled the amulet between her fingers. Under the amulet was the necklace that she received from Elijah at the dinner party. She could not bring herself to take off the necklace. Another rule from Klaus was to never touch the coffins that contained his family. It took every bit of restraint within her not to open Elijah's coffin. She could not deny that she missed him. If he was not daggered, she would find this trip a million times more bearable. The car eventually stopped in front of a small white house with green shutters.

"Stay here, love. Don't leave the car"

"Why would ever I do that?"

While Stefan hid behind a tree, Klaus walked over to a young blonde girl who left the house, searching for a dog. Using compulsion, he followed the girl into the house. Stefan stayed near the front door. Knowing the usual routine, Riley buried her nose in one of her books. She did not want to watch this girl become another victim. After much practice, she was able to tune out the screams. Klaus returned to the car.

"Stefan will be back shortly. You certainly like to read a lot during this little trip"

"Well unlike you, I don't like watching Stefan go all ripper" she replied, imitating his accent when she said ripper.

"It's in his nature. He shouldn't be ashamed of it. It's fascinating to watch"

"I'm guessing you were the kind of kid who strangled kittens and kicked puppies"

"You think I'm so terrible, Riley. If you got to know me, you'd think differently"

She looked at him. "I bet tons of girls are charmed by that accent"

He smirked. "I've found it useful over the centuries"

"Well it has no effect on me. I don't want to get to know you. Eventually, you'll let me go"

"I doubt that. Why would I let go of such a beautiful companion?"

"Because I will be extremely annoying until you do"

Stefan entered the car, wiping the blood from his mouth. They spent the next few hours driving to Tulley, a town close to the border. Riley did not bother getting any sleep. By the time they arrived at a bar named _Southern Comfort, _it was the next morning. Stefan compelled the people inside to ignore them and whatever happened to Ray Sutton, the werewolf that Klaus had been searching for this entire time. Klaus placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I have a special job for you"

"Leave and never come back? Gladly"

"When Ray arrives, sit at the bar and chat him up a bit. Distract him"

"What makes you so sure that he'll want to talk to me?"

"Don't be modest. Who wouldn't want to be around someone as lovely as you?"

A young guy in his twenties entered the bar. One of the men greeted him, calling him Ray. He sat at the bar, ordering a beer. Riley took the seat next to him and asked for a vodka cherry cocktail. The bartender handed her the drink. Ray was looking her up and down. She smiled at him.

"Hi. I'm Riley"

"Ray. I've never seen you here before"

"Just passing through"

"Sure you can handle that drink?"

"I can handle anything" she said, flirtatiously.

Klaus was listening to their conversation. She noticed him glare slightly and formed a plan in her head to annoy him. As she talked with Ray, she flirted, batting her eyelashes and giggling. She took the stem off of the cherry in her drink, teasing that she could tie it into a knot.

"Do you want to see?"

"Sure"

Klaus interrupted their conversation. He told Ray about their long trip to find him, traveling from Florida to Tennessee. When Ray attempted to leave, Klaus stopped him, mentioning how werewolves were very rare. Stefan stood on the other side of him, keeping Ray trapped by the bar.

"Vampires"

"Swifty swift, Ray"

"Who the hell says that?" she muttered, drinking her cocktail.

"Yes, my friend here is a vampire. He's already compelled everyone in here so don't look to them for help. I, however, am something else…a different kind of monster. I've got some vampire…got some wolf"

"Also got some douchebag"

"A hybrid, Ray. I'm both. You see, I want to create more of me. Now you being the first werewolf I've come across in many a moon. Pun intended, Ray"

She laughed obnoxiously. Stefan shot her a look that said _Stop antagonizing him_. Klaus glanced at her.

"You are hilarious. Hybrid, jackass, and comedian. You are a triple threat"

"Ignore my pretty friend here. She's doing this on purpose to return home but it won't work on me" he said, playing with a strand of her hair.

She smacked his hand. Klaus asked about Ray's werewolf pack. When he refused to say anything, Stefan ordered a glass of scotch and took out a bag of wolfsbane from his pocket. He wanted to play a game called _Truth or Wolfsbane _with Ray. Grabbing him by his shirt collar, Stefan dragged him over to the dart board. He chained him up against the wall and dipped the darts into the wolfsbane-laced scotch before throwing it at him. Ray continued to stay quiet. He cried out in pain when each dart hit his body and began bleeding badly. Klaus watched them with amusement.

"Where are you going?" he asked, seeing her get off of her seat.

"To the bathroom"

"Are you going to try that little stunt with the phone again?"

"No. I'll be a good little girl" she said, sweetly.

As she passed him, he moved his arm in front of her. "We both know that you're not a good little girl"

Riley pushed his arm aside in disgust. She walked into the bathroom, needing some time alone. After about ten minutes, she left the bathroom, seeing Klaus and Stefan in a tense conversation. She overheard Klaus mention that Damon had been at the house where Stefan killed those two girls. Stefan offered to keep Damon off of their trail, promising to return to the bar. She knew it was useless to ask Klaus to let her go with him. There was a better chance of her finding a diamond in her food. Stefan left the bar. Ray begged to be unchained from the wall. A man going over to the pool table with some friends had forgotten his phone at the bar. Riley needed to talk to any of her friends, even for just a couple seconds. She tousled her hair and returned to the bar.

"Where's Stefan going?"

"Back to Mystic Falls to handle a problem"

"Good. He's such a bore. I like that we're alone"

"Do you?" he asked, putting down his beer.

"You're always telling me to get to know you so tell me about you, Klaus"

Riley sat on his lap. She leaned close to his ear, sliding her hand under his shirt.

"I want to know about your family…your adventures…"

Her lips pressed against his ear. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"You're right. I'm not a good little girl. Elijah thought I was…but he's boring. I like excitement. I want to know what it's like to be the strongest person to ever exist"

Placing small kisses on his ear, she reached for the phone and cast a spell to transfigure it into a barrette. She kissed along his jawline and stopped at his chin. He was breathing heavily and ran his hand along her side.

"We can play a game. If you catch me before I'm back in the bar, you get a special prize" she whispered, their lips just inches apart.

"Or I could get it now"

"That's not how the game works. When I'm out of the bar, close your eyes and count to ten. No cheating"

Riley got out of his lap and walked over to the entrance to the bar. Klaus was watching her, pure lust in his eyes. Winking at him, she transfigured the barrette back into a phone and left the bar. She cut her wrist and left a trail of blood all over the parking lot to confuse him. Healing her wrist, she snuck around to the back of the bar, hiding behind the dumpster. She called Jayden and smiled, hearing his voice.

"Hey stranger. Are you still with your grandparents?"

"Uh yea, sorry I didn't tell you. It was a last minute thing. They're about to leave and wanted some time with me before they moved away to Europe permanently"

"Well you're missing a great party for Elena. I tried calling you yesterday for yours but it went right to voicemail"

"Bad service. How is everybody?"

"Drunk and having fun. I'm keeping an eye on Jeremy for you. Yea, it's Ri—sorry, he wants to talk to you. Relax, Jer. Don't rip my arm off"

"Riley?" she heard Jeremy say.

"Hey Jer"

"Where are you? What's going on?"

"I can't tell you much. I'm still with Klaus and Stefan. I'm safe"

"Just tell me where you are and we can come get you. Your dad's not afraid of Klaus"

"Jer, I promise that I'm fine. I can't talk for very long. Just wish Elena a happy birthday for me and tell everyone that I miss them. Hopefully, I'm back for school…which is the last thing I ever thought I'd say. I'll keep this phone with me. I'll try to call later when I'm alone"

"Ri, wait"

Riley hung up and casting the spell again, she hid the fake barrette in her pocket. She entered the bar through a back door. Ray was struggling against the chains. She sat down, drinking her cocktail. Seconds later, Klaus was at her side.

"Aw, too slow. You lose"

"We could play again"

"Don't feel like it"

"Are you being a tease?"

"No. I'm telling you that you lost your shot at hooking up with drunk me. Poor you"

He continued hitting Ray with the darts. Hours later, as night fell, Ray finally confessed to the location of his pack. Klaus unchained him and laid him down on an empty pool table. Ray was extremely weak. Cutting his wrist with a knife, Klaus fed Ray his blood just as Stefan walked over to them. Klaus snapped Ray's neck. While Klaus called out Stefan on pretending to not care about anyone, Riley looked at Ray's unconscious body. She wondered if Klaus could actually make more hybrids.

Their next destination was the Smoky Mountains. Riley was not in the mood for a hiking trip. Stefan had it the worst, having to carry Ray. She played with the barrette in her pocket, checking for the best opportunity to use the phone again. When Klaus offered to carry her, she rejected him. They found a small clearing where the other werewolves were setting up tents. Stefan placed Ray on the ground. One of the girls ran over to him, panicking. She seemed to know about Klaus being a hybrid. As they waited for Ray to wake up from his unconscious state, she looked at the other werewolves. One of them, a guy, was just a human. Ray's eyes popped open and he let out a wheezing breath. Human blood was needed for the transition. Like Riley, Klaus figured out that the guy was human and bit into his wrist. Stefan kept the guy pinned to the ground.

The girl who had run to help Ray tried to stop them. Klaus held her back. He did not even give her a choice about being a hybrid. Riley glared when he fed her his blood and snapped her neck. She stepped away from the clearing as Klaus fed his blood to all of the werewolves. The phone vibrated in her pocket. Picking up, she heard Damon.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Nice to hear from you too, Riley. Where are you?"

"In the mountains"

"Be a little more specific"

"Wh—don't tell me you're here"

"Yep. Me, Ric, and Elena"

"Elena? Are you insane? If Klaus sees"

"Tried telling her that but she didn't listen. Tell us where"

Riley hung up the phone at the sound of someone walking towards her. She disguised the phone and turned around, seeing Stefan.

"What are you doing?"

"Practicing spells"

"Well Klaus wants you with him so stop straying away from him"

He brought her back to the clearing. All of the werewolves, except Ray, were unconscious. Ray sat on a boulder, shivering and looking miserable. Klaus claimed that the hybrids would be soldiers, not slaves. He told them how armies are made before the war and if his army was large, no one would fight against him. Riley sat beside Ray, holding his hand. She cast a spell to take away some of the pain. Blood seeped from his eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt your little bro talk but something's wrong with him"

"Y—you said it would feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" asked Ray, shaking.

"Some master race" said Stefan.

The second werewolf woke up, beginning her transition into a hybrid. Klaus told the guy to feed her blood. As the guy stumbled towards her, bleeding from his arm, Ray's eyes turned yellow and his werewolf fangs emerged. He threw Riley into a tree roughly and disappeared into the woods. She rubbed the back of her head, wincing. Klaus rushed to her side. She stood up, wincing.

"Riley, let me heal you"

"I don't want your blood. I'm fine"

"Stay here while I see if Stefan has Ray. When they wake up, have them drink from Derek"

The second hybrid was already bleeding from her eyes. Riley could tell that this was a bad sign. She leaned against the tree. Klaus returned to the clearing, telling her that Stefan had a nasty werewolf bite. He was not going to cure him until he captured Ray. Riley was disgusted with his manipulations. Things went from bad to worse when all of the hybrids woke up in transition. The sky was pitch black and the hybrids moved around like zombies, bleeding from their eyes and shaking. With little remorse, Klaus killed Derek.

"Something the matter, love?"

She crossed her arms. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe that you're being a complete jerk and letting Stefan walk around with a werewolf bite when he's helped you all summer and you have the cure. Maybe that we're surrounded by zombie hybrids. It's a real toss-up between the two"

One of the hybrids almost bit her. Seeing that his little plan failed, he killed all of them. He sat on the ground, holding a beer bottle. Stefan stepped into the clearing, holding a dead Ray. Though Klaus looked upset, Riley did not feel any sympathy for him. He angrily threw the bottle to the ground.

"I did everything I was told! I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf, I killed a vampire, I killed the doppelganger"

Stefan and Riley shared a quick worried glance. Both of them were thinking that Klaus failed because Elena was alive. Stefan apologized for killing Ray, telling Klaus that he had no other choice. Klaus poured his blood into another bottle and handed it to him.

"So you'll take us back to Mystic Falls now" said Riley.

"No"

"What? Your little experiment failed. Time to call it quits"

"Give us a minute, Stefan"

Drinking from the bottle, Stefan walked into the woods. Klaus moved in front of her, backing her against a tree.

"I'll let you in on a secret. I know that our connection does not go that far. If you die, it won't kill me. I knew you were lying from the moment you said it"

"It _is_ true. I"

He cupped her cheek. "It's time you give up false hope. You're not returning home. It seems you and Stefan are the only friends I have left"

"I don't want to be your friend, Klaus. I'm not sorry for you because you don't have someone to whine to about your problems. You can't force me to stay here"

"I won't need to force anything"

Taking her wrist, he placed it on his chest. "You understand me. You see past everything…to the good in me"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Here's another secret. Our history with each other goes back to even before that night in France"

Riley stared at him, confused. From what Klaus said, it was as if he meant that they knew each other some other time in the past. She would definitely remember meeting him. He banged her head against the tree, knocking her unconscious…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. That last scene between Riley and Klaus is going to become important in later chapters. It ties into the history between Klaus and Riley's parents, which has been hinted at before. While they are in Chicago, Riley is also going to run into some witch-related trouble. **


	14. Devil in a Mini Skirt

When Riley woke up, she found herself back in the car. Hours had passed and they had already entered Kentucky. Klaus refused to answer any of her questions. He would not even tell her or Stefan where they were currently heading, not giving so much as the town. His last words to her before knocking her out in the woods had not left her mind. During the long drive, she tried to figure out if she ever met Klaus. She could not remember any other time that she saw him. Klaus was not someone that she would forget, especially since he had bitten her during what she thought was their first encounter. She was unsure if he was lying to keep her with him or telling the truth. If he was being honest, it led to more questions, including how and why her memory of him had been erased. In protest of him telling her nothing, she stayed quiet during the car ride, not answering him when he spoke to her.

They were currently driving through Illinois. To pass the time, Riley read a book. She had not looked at Klaus or Stefan once for the past eight hours. The driver stopped at a fast food restaurant and Klaus told Stefan to buy food for Riley. Stefan stepped out of the car. Riley kept her eyes on her book.

"I don't want food"

"Ah, she speaks. You need to eat, love. I can hear your stomach growling"

"I would rather starve than accept food from you. At least it would get me out of this stupid trip"

"Riley, there's no need to be angry with me"

"You think I'm angry? No. You just told me that I'm never going home and slammed my head into a tree. I'm not angry. I want to rip your head off"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Klaus smirk. It frustrated her that no matter what she said, he never became irritated or angry with her. He was amused by her sarcastic remarks.

"You'll enjoy being with me. Hasn't this trip been a tiny bit fun?"

"Nope. You know what else isn't fun? Lying that I knew you before you decided to make me your late night snack"

"That wasn't a lie"

"I don't care if I'm another doppelganger"

"You're not"

"Or some weird reincarnation of a past love"

"That isn't it either. When your parents are ready, I'm sure they'll tell you the truth"

Riley gripped the pages of her book. She was not going to listen to him slander her parents. Silently, she cast a spell. He clutched his throat, beginning to choke. She used magic to reduce the feeling that she was getting in her throat from their connection. After a minute, she reversed the spell and threatened him that if he ever said anything bad about her parents again, she would hurt him ten times worse. Stefan returned to the car with chicken nuggets and french fries. She immediately threw the bag out the window.

"Wh—Riley"

"Let it go, Stefan. Our little witch isn't in the mood to eat"

The car entered a storage facility. Klaus revealed that they were in Chicago. A truck was driving towards them, carrying the coffins. Stefan admitted that he blacked out most of the 1920s when he had been in this city. All he could remember was that it involved a lot of partying and bloodshed. Klaus wanted to visit his so-called favorite witch to find a solution for his hybrid problem. As she followed him through the city, she noticed some people staring at her. One of them, a middle-aged woman, looked almost frightened. Riley checked her appearance in the window of a boutique to see what could be offending them. Her skirt might have been a little too short but she was not dressed like a prostitute. Klaus and Stefan entered _Gloria's_, a bar. She walked towards the bar but was stopped by an invisible force. It tugged at her navel, preventing her from moving closer. She looked at the amulet. The eyes of the two snakes glittered in the sunlight.

From outside, she could see Klaus speaking to a dark-skinned woman in her forties with cropped platinum blonde hair. The woman, who he called Gloria, was a powerful witch. She had been able to slow down her aging so that she looked young despite being alive during the 1920s.

"Sweetheart, I don't want us to be separated. Come in here"

Riley struggled to fight the invisible force that repelled her from the bar. With a little concentration, she broke the hold on her and walked through the door. Stefan was behind the counter, making drinks. Klaus was sitting at a table with Gloria.

"No need to be shy. Gloria's an old friend. This is R"

Gloria glared. "Get her out of here"

"Now Gloria, I promise not to serve any minors"

"I said get her out of my bar"

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Riley, confused.

"Riley, why don't you wait outside? We won't be long" said Klaus, hearing the anger in Gloria's voice.

Riley sat on a bench outside the bar. Taking out a compact mirror, she cast a spell to spy on Klaus. The mirror showed the inside of the bar. Gloria was avoiding his questions about her strange behavior around Riley. Their discussion shifted to his hybrid problem. Gloria explained that to find a loophole in the curse, she needed to contact the witch who created it. The side of Riley's head vibrated. She removed the barrette, transfiguring it into the phone.

"Hello my favorite shorty"

"Damon, why are you calling?"

"Surprised you can even answer with Klaus around"

"He's inside some bar, talking to a witch about why he can't make new hybrids. She doesn't like me"

"What bar?"

"Gloria's. I don't know how much longer they'll be in there"

"Well don't worry. I'm coming to the rescue. Once we're in Chicago, you won't be Klaus's hostage anymore"

"Let's hope so"

Seeing Klaus leave the bar, she hung up the phone and put the barrette back in her hair. Klaus led her back to the storage facility. To contact the Original witch, the one who created the hybrid curse, Gloria needed his sister Rebekah. Riley was not excited about meeting another Original who shared a connection with her. Stefan was behind them, holding a photo. Sneaking a peek, she saw an old-time photo of him and Klaus in suits. She looked at him for an explanation but he did not seem to have one.

"I hope Gloria didn't scare you. She's paranoid in her old age"

"That's all you think it is?" she asked, remembering how others looked at her in the city.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No" she lied.

Angrily, Stefan questioned Klaus about knowing each other during the 1920s. Klaus would only tell him that they were not friends at first and Stefan had also met Rebekah. Riley made the connection that Klaus had compelled Stefan to forget about their previous encounters. She was curious why Klaus wiped his memories. Opening one of the coffins, Klaus removed the dagger from Rebekah's chest. She was still dressed in twenties attire. Stefan did not recognize her. Even with the dagger out, her skin remained ashy grey. Klaus compelled a security guard to tell Rebekah to meet them at _Gloria's_ and let her feed from him. He wanted to prove that he knew Stefan by going to his old apartment. Riley stopped, a thought nagging her in the back of her mind. Klaus turned towards her.

"Have you lost the ability to walk, love? It isn't that far"

"I'm hungry"

"Oh now you're hungry?" asked Stefan.

"Can I have money and go get food? I promise not to run away. It's not like I have a car to go anywhere, Klaus. Please?" she said, pouting.

He handed her some cash. "You'll meet us outside the bar. Behave yourself" he whispered.

Riley waited for them to disappear down the street. Once they were completely out of sight, she headed over to the bar. It was now packed with people. Ignoring guys offering to buy her drinks, she searched for Gloria. She was behind the counter, wiping it with a rag while speaking to Damon. Riley shook her head when he flirted with her.

"They'll be back here later tonight. They're out running a little errand for me"

Damon rested his hand over hers. "Gloria, don't be a tease. What kind of errand?"

"I don't think so. You may be cute but you're still a vampire" she said, moving his wand.

Riley stood next to Damon. "Well I'm not"

Gloria's smile faltered. She turned her back, picking up glasses.

"Ooh, did it just get chilly in here?" asked Damon.

"I want to know why you freaked out when you saw me"

Gloria remained silent, pouring drinks. Riley's fists clenched. A rush of energy flowed through her. Gloria was forcibly turned around, facing her. Damon looked at Riley, shocked.

"It's rude not to answer people when they're talking to you. Now this can go two ways. The easy way is you just telling me what I want to know. The hard way involves me dragging you out back and painfully ripping out the information from your head"

Gloria put down the rag. "You know, Klaus isn't the only one the witches talk about these days. You're a hot topic, Riley"

"How do you know my name?"

"Like I said, witches talk. It started as rumors about eighteen years ago after you were born. The rumors turned to real accounts of little incidents involving you. Then when you went in that cave with your uncle, we all know it was true"

"Why do you care about me? You're a witch too. I know that I'm descended from the original line"

With a chuckle, Gloria agreed but claimed Riley did not know the full story. She explained that Riley was a descendant from two original witch bloodlines, one for regular magic and one for dark magic. The originators of dark magic appeared a few centuries after the first witches, pushing the boundaries of magic for nefarious purposes. There were two separate covens for each branch of magic, constantly at war. In a sort of Romeo and Juliet scenario, a warlock from the light coven and a witch from the dark coven developed romantic feelings for each other, leading to a child. Riley learned that the woman she saw in her dreams was the leader of the dark coven at the time. The other witches had caused her death, as a way to eliminate dark magic, but were unaware that she produced a child with the mixed bloodlines. The symbol of the intertwined snakes represented that union between the covens. In an attempt to suppress such power, they cast a curse to prevent any of that child's descendants from being witches. Riley was the first to break through the curse.

"You're the devil in a mini skirt"

"Hold on, Riley isn't some evil witch" defended Damon.

"She's a ticking time bomb. That darkness will consume her and being around Klaus won't do her any favors. You can't fight the darkness, sweetie. There's a reason that witches bound that power. It's too much for one person, especially a little girl. I'd keep a low profile. A lot of witches want to see you dead"

Quietly, she left the bar. She ran her hand through her hair, pacing around the parking lot. Someone grabbed her waist, spinning her towards him. It was Damon.

"Ignore Gloria"

"Ignore that she said I'm like some evil demon witch? Or should I just ignore that every witch wants me dead?"

"Riley"

"I didn't even—okay, I did magic when I was little but I didn't even realize it until a few months ago. Now I find out that I'm like target number one for a witchy hit list. It's not comforting"

"Gloria's wrong. I know that you're not a bad person. Come with me. Elena's waiting and Gloria is right about one thing. Staying with Klaus is bad"

"I can't leave now. Just go. I'll be fine"

"Tonight, I'm bringing you back to Mystic Falls. I promise you that"

Damon vanished from the parking lot. A group of guys passed by her, carrying bags of liquor. Using her magic, she made them give her one of the bags. While she waited for Klaus, she drank a bottle of whiskey. She wished that she was home. Her parents would be able to assuage her fears about her magic. As she finished her second bottle of whiskey, she heard the door open behind her.

"This is where you've been for the past hour and a half?"

"It's been this long? Didn't realize"

Klaus bent down to her and snatched the bottle. "Why are you drinking?"

"It's how I'm coping with the fact that I'm going to be stuck with you for the rest of my life. Give it back"

"You're lying"

"And you're a jerk"

He forced her into the bar. They sat at the counter. Gloria avoided any eye contact with her. Riley picked up Stefan's half-empty glass of scotch. Klaus pestered her about what had gotten her upset in the past hour. She downed the scotch and magically refilled the glass. Klaus reached for her hand. She moved her hand, placing it on her lap.

"Stop trying to talk to me. I don't want to talk"

"I don't like to see you upset"

"Then you shouldn't have blackmailed me into leaving with you"

Damon sat on the other side of Klaus. The bar was empty except for the three of them. Gloria had gone into a back room. Klaus did not look pleased with Damon's presence. Damon suggested that if he returned Stefan and Riley, Klaus would never see him again.

"Well I am torn. You see, I promised Stefan that I wouldn't let you die but how many freebies did I really sign up for? Clearly, you want to die otherwise you wouldn't be here…"

"What can I say? I'm a thrill seeker"

Klaus grabbed him by the throat. "Klaus, don't" pleaded Riley.

He lifted Damon up from the floor. Toying with him, he pierced him with a cocktail umbrella in different parts of the body. Damon groaned in pain. He offered to take Stefan's place. Klaus threw him down to the ground. He ripped off a chair leg.

"You won't be any fun after you're dead"

Riley stood in front of Damon. "Klaus, don't. Just let him go"

The angered expression in his eyes softened. He pushed her aside.

"Don't bother defending him, Riley. He's not worth your time"

She held onto his arm, stopping him from staking Damon. The chair leg caught fire. Gloria was standing behind the counter. She told Klaus that there was no fighting allowed inside the bar.

"You don't have to negotiate your brother's freedom. When I'm done with him, he won't want to go back. As for Riley, she's perfectly safe in my hands"

"I promise to get you home" Damon mouthed to her.

He left the bar, holding his side. Klaus wanted to check on Rebekah. He promised to meet with Gloria tomorrow morning. Gloria asked to speak to Riley privately. Once Klaus left, Gloria handed her a small map. A circle had been drawn around the woods.

"Meet me here after my talk with him and his sister"

"Why would I meet you anywhere? I don't trust you"

"I can help with your little problem, sweetie. You'll find a cottage in the woods. Meet me there. Better to trust a witch than a vampire. I didn't mean to scare you but you deserve to know the truth about your history"

"Fine. I'll sneak off and meet you. How are you going to help?"

"Don't worry about that"

Riley walked to the storage facility. She folded up the map and hid it in her bra. The security guard was laying motionless on the ground, blood pouring out of his neck. As if she needed anything else to ruin her night, Rebekah had woken up from her coffin. She was looking at Stefan with lovey-dovey eyes. Sniffing the air, she spotted Riley near a stack of crates. Her fangs emerged and she zoomed towards her.

"Rebekah, don't!"

Riley pushed her hand forward. Similar to the night of the sixties decade dance, a blinding white light emitted from her wand. It struck Rebekah, sending her flying through multiple walls. Riley was knocked back at the same time. Klaus caught her before she hit the concrete wall, holding her bridal style. Out of instinct, her arms wrapped around his neck. She had not expected that much power. Rebekah appeared in front of them, growling.

"Little bitch"

"Rebekah, you will not harm her. Riley is under my protection"

"You kept me in a box for 90 years and you're denying me a sweet snack like her?"

"If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I'll throw you back in that box" he hissed.

Klaus sat her down on one of the crates. "You're all right, love. Don't be afraid of her. She won't hurt you"

Rebekah scrunched her nose. While Klaus told Rebekah about wanting to contact the Original witch, Stefan sat beside Riley.

"That was a lot of power"

"I didn't mean to do that"

"I remember everything. Klaus brought back my memories. It's unreal that I forgot all of this"

Rebekah touched her bare neck, as though expecting to find a necklace. She freaked out, insisting that she never removed it. Stefan's face was filled with worry, watching Rebekah tip over her coffin in anger.

"What do you know?" Riley whispered in his ear.

"Her necklace is the same one that Elena wears" he mouthed.

Riley sighed to herself. She should not have been surprised that it would all circle back to Elena. Stefan quietly told her that the Chicago police had raided Gloria's bar. Rebekah and Klaus left in a hurry and she accidentally dropped her necklace. Stefan took it with him after he was questioned by a man looking for the two Originals. Due to the compulsion by Klaus, he could not remember them.

"So he was looking for them?"

"I think they knew it was him that caused the raid. They ran out of there really fast"

"My dad might know something. Before the sacrifice, Klaus had cornered me outside the grill. My dad stopped him and mentioned someone. He didn't say a name…just that my parents knew where _he _ was and it definitely scared Klaus"

"I wonder who it is"

"It has to be someone bad if he can scare an Original vampire. I have a plan. I was able to sneak a phone out of that bar in Tennessee. I will distract Klaus, use magic to keep him distracted, and then call my dad for some answers. Maybe if we know who this scary guy is, it could get you out of helping Klaus"

"And how are you going to distract Klaus?"

Klaus looked furious with his little sister. Rebekah stopped tearing apart the coffin. Riley offered to take her shopping in the morning for new clothes. She suggested that it would be easier for Rebekah to blend in if she was wearing clothes from this century. The next morning, they were shopping at a high-end boutique. Rebekah proved to be a difficult shopper. She hated most of the clothing in the store. It did not help that she seemed to dislike Riley greatly. As part of her plan, Riley tried on clothes. She chose very revealing clothing, which easily got Klaus's attention. He and Stefan were sitting outside the changing rooms, drinking glasses of champagne. Rebekah was complaining, once again, about the clothing style.

"Why are you so grumpy?" she heard Rebekah ask.

"I needed one thing from you for my witch to find out why my hybrids were dying…your necklace and you lost it" said Klaus.

"I didn't lose it. It's just been missing for ninety years"

Riley left the changing room, wearing a low-cut black leather dress that stopped at her upper thighs. Klaus's grumpy demeanor vanished in an instant. His eyes were traveling over her body. Rebekah crossed her arms.

"So I was right. Women in this century do dress like prostitutes"

Riley smiled at Klaus. "If you've got a hot body, why not flaunt it?"

"I agree"

Rebekah scoffed, returning to her changing room. Riley gave Stefan a subtle wink. As she walked back to her room, she lied she needed help with the zipper. There was a knock on the door. Opening it, she saw Klaus.

"I'll be more than happy to assist"

"What a shock"

"I think you should definitely buy this dress"

"Why? So you can keep drooling over me in it?"

"I wasn't drooling"

"Oh please, you could create a whole new ocean with the drool coming from your mouth"

He smiled, pulling down the zipper. "You could look ravishing in a potato sack"

Riley focused on him in the mirror. He froze in place, his hand still on the zipper. The spell would not last for a very long time. She called her father. The call went straight to voice mail.

"Dad, it's me. I promise that I'm safe. I need to know what leverage you have over Klaus. It could help with getting me home. Just tell me who scares him so much. I really miss you"

She hid the phone in the pocket of her shorts. Klaus began to move. He blinked a couple times.

"It doesn't take that long to move a zipper, does it?"

"Was I asleep?"

"No..."

"It felt as if I blacked out"

"Good excuse for getting to hold me this long. Time's up"

Keeping her dress up, she pushed him out of the changing room…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. In this chapter, Riley learned more about her witch history. It's a lot for her to take in because, as she said to Damon, she did not even know about her abilities until she returned to Mystic Falls. She is just starting to learn control and accept herself as a witch then Gloria basically tells her that the other witches see her as a danger. The next chapter will start Riley's own personal arc besides dealing with the Originals and other things in season 3.  
**


	15. Surprising Secrets

Keeping her dress up, she pushed him out of the changing room. Riley took her time in the room, pretending to try on the rest of her outfits. She was attempting to stall Klaus for as long as possible from learning that Elena was alive and in possession of the necklace he needed to figure out the solution to his hybrid problem. If he did figure out the truth, that Elena had not actually died during the sacrifice, she doubted that he would show much leniency to Stefan or her. She could not come up with any scenario where Klaus would ignore that she lied to him over the past few months. From what Stefan said, Elena's death was the key to create other successful hybrids. She checked her phone repeatedly, hoping to see a voicemail from her father or at least a text. Klaus called out to her, telling her to finish trying out on outfits so that they could head over to _Gloria's_. As she tied her sneakers, she heard her phone vibrate.

Picking up the phone, she saw a text from her father. It merely said _It isn't the time for that conversation. Just trust that your mother and I will find a way to get you home_. She hid the phone in her shorts and left the changing room. Klaus was sitting in the red chair, drinking champagne. Stefan had gone outside for 'fresh air'. Riley could not see him anywhere near the boutique. As she checked for him on the sidewalk, she felt a tug on her waist. She ended up on Klaus's lap. He poured champagne in Stefan's empty glass and handed it to her.

"I'm not getting drunk with you"

"You didn't seem to mind that last night"

"Last night, I had a reason"

"Yes, which you haven't told me yet"

"I did tell you. You just refuse to believe that someone could hate being stuck with you"

"I do wish you'd be honest with me, Riley"

"Are you two lovebirds finished?" she heard Rebekah say in a disgusted tone.

Rebekah left the changing rooms, carrying a stack of clothes. Riley followed her over to the register. While Rebekah bought out half the boutique, Riley did not purchase any outfits. Klaus handed her a small bag, containing the black leather dress.

"I am not wearing this"

"I'm sure you'll find some use for it. It would be a shame to not buy such a lovely dress, especially when it looks perfect on you"

After they dropped off Rebekah's new clothes in the truck, they walked towards the bar. Stefan had not joined them, being somewhere in the city. Riley was hesitant to see Gloria again. The two of them were certainly not close friends. Though Riley would later meet Gloria in the woods for some magic help, she did not fully trust her. Gloria explained to Klaus that she would use magic to locate the necklace that belonged to the Original witch. Riley was curious if they were referring to her ancestors. While Gloria placed candles on a table, Klaus sat Riley on his lap again.

"You know, there are other seats that I can use"

"I'd prefer that you were right here. You comfort me. You always did"

Riley's fists clenched. She was frustrated that he referenced their supposed past together. When she found her way back to Mystic Falls, she would not let her parents leave the room until she learned the truth. Eyes closed, Gloria moved her hands over a grimoire. She was having no luck in finding the necklace. Klaus was slowly getting impatient.

"You could let me try. I bet I'd do better than her with this spell" suggested Riley, thinking that she could lie about the necklace's location to give Elena time to get rid of it.

Klaus put down his glass and rested his head on her shoulder. His breath on her neck made her shiver.

"While I have no doubt that you are a very powerful witch, Gloria is a bit more experienced, love. She'll find it…or today will be her last day alive"

"Charming" she said, sarcastically.

Rebekah was watching them with a shrewd look in her eyes. Their conversation was interrupted by Stefan entering the bar. He lied about needing a break from their shopping trip. When Klaus made a remark about Gloria failing with her spell, Rebekah offered to act as a conduit since she wore the necklace for a thousand years. Sitting on the table, she let Gloria hold her hand. Stefan looked uneasy.

"Wipe that look off your face. If they notice it, we're dead" she mouthed.

He crossed his arms, leaning against the bar. Riley felt Klaus's lips brush her neck. She grabbed a knife and jammed it into his thigh.

"If you try that again, I'll use this to slice off your mini Klaus" she hissed.

"One day, you'll beg for my lips to touch more than your neck" he whispered in her ear, his thumb brushing against her bare hip.

"You can't do that if I rip off your lips"

"I admire that fire of yours"

"I found it" said Gloria.

Thankfully, the spell had not given her precise location. She had seen images in her head of three girls. Riley immediately knew that she was referring to Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie. Rebekah was a bit violent, ready to kill them for having her necklace. Gloria requested more time to get better details. Stefan suggested that they find some people to feed on and return to the bar later in the day.

As Riley left the bar, she shared a quick glance with Gloria. Klaus compelled three girls to come with them back to the storage facility. Riley hid her disgust as they fed on the girls. Rebekah tossed her girl to the floor and sat on a small crate, pouting. Klaus joked about her being annoying. She whined when Stefan laughed at his comment, claiming that Stefan used to love her. Her anger only worsened as Klaus insinuated that she was a brat.

"Stop being mean to her" said Riley.

"I don't need your help" replied Rebekah.

"Ignore her. She tends to get jealous"

Rebekah glared at Klaus. "I am not jealous of her. Stop it"

"Well while you two fight, I'm leaving"

"For where?" asked Klaus, suspiciously.

"The bathroom. That's something humans need to use sometimes. I can find it by myself. I don't need anyone to hold my hand on the way there"

Riley walked out of the storage facility. Grabbing the map from her shorts, she followed it to the nearby woods. She was wary of her surroundings, being far from the city. Ten minutes later, she found the cottage near a lake. The cottage looked like it had been uninhabited for many years. It was covered in dust and cobwebs. Waiting for Gloria, she sat on the tattered couch. She heard a loud creaking noise upstairs. Conjuring a ball of fire in her hand, she snuck over to the stairs. The creaking noises continued, emitting from all different corners of the cottage.

"Whoever this is, just come out. Stop being a wimp"

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head. She clutched her head, falling to her knees. A cloth covered her mouth. She struggled against the person's grip, grabbing their wrist. The person cried out as a burn formed on their wrist from her magic. Everything around her turned to black.

When Riley woke up, she was no longer in the cottage. She was somewhere underground, laying on a cold metal table. Her arms and legs had been restrained, making it impossible to cast any spells. The concrete walls of the dimly lit room were covered in dirt, blood, and scratch marks. Turning her head, she saw that the table was surrounded by a circle of black powder. The door opened and a dozen hooded figures entered the room, holding candles. They placed the candles around the table. One of the figures stepped towards her, pulling down their hood and revealing a middle-aged man with cold grey eyes. He smiled at her, only making her more uncomfortable.

"Hello Riley. My name is Alec Burke"

"I don't give a damn who you are. Let me go"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. There's no reason to be afraid. The other witches and I only want to help you. I am the leader of this coven"

She scoffed. "You want to help me? How does keeping me strapped to a table help me? I don't need some witchy intervention"

"We're going to cleanse you. Don't try to use magic. The powder around the table prevents it"

Alec sliced both of her palms with a silver dagger. He used the dagger to rip open her shirt and made a long gash across her stomach. The other witches ignored her screams. Alec crushed a yellow herb in his hand and pressed his hand into her stomach. Her stomach felt like it was on fire.

"P—please, stop"

"My, you're very strong already. We've been underestimating you. There's all this hidden potential"

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Gloria mentioned that you were with the hybrid…a very bad combination. You have far too much power for you to handle, Riley. I am going to relieve you of this burden"

"By killing me?"

"Not yet. First, I am going to take your magic"

She looked at him, confused. Alec explained that he wanted her magic for himself. He had been waiting for the opportunity to find a witch with her mixed bloodline. When he first heard about her, he planned to snatch her from Mystic Falls but she was heavily protected by Bonnie's mother and grandmother, both witches. He instead learned more about her through John, who had no idea that Alec could use magic. According to Alec, many witches were eager to take her magic, either for their entire coven or just for themselves. Even if he sapped her of her magic completely, it would not work for him until she was dead. She begged for any of the other witches in the room to help her. All of them kept their heads down. They began to chant and she struggled to breathe. Alec joined the chanting, not moving his hand from her stomach.

"You're a fighter. I like that"

"Please don't do this"

"What's happening to your eyes?"

The eyes of the snakes on her amulet glowed bright green. As the pain got worse, she let out a piercing scream. The room shook violently. One of the witches begged Alec to let go of Riley. He refused, threatening that if she did not continue the spell, he would rip out her heart. Cracks formed in the ground and on the walls. Riley panicked as the ceiling caved in and shut her eyes, expecting the concrete ceiling to crush her. After a few seconds, she felt nothing and nervously opened her eyes. The witches, including Alec, were buried under the debris. Her restraints snapped open. Riley hurried out of the room, holding her stomach. She could barely walk a few steps before she had to stop to catch her breath. Finding a set of wooden stairs, she climbed out of the cellar. The woods around her were unfamiliar. Two of the witches, a girl and guy in their early twenties, emerged from the cellar.

Riley pushed her hand forward. The girl was thrown back, slamming into the ground. Holding her stomach, she ran through the woods. She spotted the cottage just a couple feet away. The guy chased after her, tackling her into the lake. He dragged her out of the lake by her hair. She realized that her wounds were partially healed. He backhanded her and raised the dagger. Desperately crying out for help, she grabbed his arm, trying to stop him from hurting her. Blood seeped from his nose. His face became sunken and ashy grey. He slowly resembled a corpse. Riley screamed in terror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell into the lake. Someone lifted her up from the ground. Klaus was in front of her.

"Riley, what's happened? You're hurt"

Veins protruded under his eyes. She stepped back, thinking that he was going to bite her. He groaned, holding the sides of his head.

"Riley"

"Get away from me"

"You're in a state of shock. Just talk to"

"Get away from me!"

Flames popped up near him. He jumped back, telling her to reverse the spell. His face returned to normal. He moved in front of her.

"Who did this to you? I'll"

"You'll what? This is your fault!"

"Riley, I would never harm you"

"Says the guy who bit me before and kept me hostage for months! If I wasn't stuck with you, I would be home in Mystic Falls! I'd be hanging out with my friends! I wouldn't be in Chicago, almost dying!"

"You're injured. Let me heal you" he said, biting into his wrist.

"I don't want your blood! I'd rather die than ever let your blood inside me"

"Fine. I'll let you heal your own injuries. Come with me and tell me how I can make you feel better"

"I want to go home. Just let me go home"

"Riley, I already told you" he started.

"I don't care!"

Tears filled her eyes. The only other time she felt this vulnerable was the night that Klaus attacked her. She was afraid that those other witches, especially Alec, were not dead. This near-death experience really shook her. Being Klaus's friend happened to be the last thing on her mind.

"I—I killed people. Look at him" she said, her voice cracking.

Klaus spotted the body in the lake. "Riley, it was self defense"

"No, self defense would have been stabbing him and then keep running. He's—I don't even know what to call that and the others were flattened like pancakes. I didn't even know what I was doing"

"Riley, I can help you with your magic"

She sniffled. "No. I want to go home. I want my parents. I want to hear my dad tell a stupid joke to make me feel better and my mom to come up with some long explanation that makes like no sense to me. You keep saying that you care so if you mean it, then give me the keys to the car and let me go home"

Klaus handed her the keys. Tilting her chin up, he looked into her eyes.

"Do not let this break you. I know how strong you are. Whoever hurt you, I will make sure that they pay"

He kissed her forehead. Riley silently thanked him and headed over to the bar. It was pitch black outside, meaning no one could see her wounds. She healed the gash across her stomach. Entering the bar, she saw Stefan covering Gloria's body with a tarp. Katherine was standing next to him.

"Mini Gilbert, that is an interesting new style. You pull off the _Carrie_ look very well" she said, seeing Riley covered in blood.

"Don't ask what happened" said Riley, seeing the worry on Stefan's face.

"You have cuts on your hands and are covered in blood. You really don't want me to ask questions?"

"Gloria screwed me over. I came here to kick the crap out of her but looks like someone beat me to it. How did she die?"

"That would be me" replied Katherine, smirking.

As Katherine offered to help Stefan with his plan, Riley bent down to Gloria's body. There was a nasty burn on her wrist. She was not completely dead yet. Riley touched the palm of her hand. An invisible force flowed through her. It made her feel even stronger. Stefan picked up Gloria and left the bar.

"Did he reject you?"

"He's being stubborn. He thinks he's clever and can trick Klaus by finding out who this hunter is…"

"A hunter? That's who Klaus is scared of?"

"Apparently. So mini Gilbert, how is Klaus allowing you to walk around without a leash?"

"Well after what happened tonight, he's letting me go home to Mystic Falls. Do you want to come with me?"

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I have a feeling that this hunter is the same person that my parents know. Plus it's only a matter of time before Klaus figures out that the necklace is in Mystic Falls. We can take it and hide it somewhere that he can't get it"

"I like how you think"

For the next eleven hours, they drove back to Mystic Falls. During the long drive, Riley was able to locate the necklace. It was currently with Bonnie. They formed a plan to sneak it away from her while Riley tried to find out more about this vampire hunter from her parents. When they reached her house, Katherine disappeared to find out what they had missed in town. Riley knocked on the front door. As it opened, she saw her father.

"Hey da"

He hugged her tightly. "Riley, how are you—did Klaus come back here?"

"No, it's just me. He let me go"

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm home…and really hungry"

Her father brought her into the kitchen. Seeing Riley, her mother dropped her spatula. Riley was subjected to a bone-crushing hug for nearly five minutes. Her mother made her an entire breakfast feast. She made sure that Riley ate multiple helpings of food.

"Mom, he didn't make me starve for months. I ate while I was gone"

"All I care about is that my little girl is home. If he hurt you"

"He didn't. I don't want to go into all the details of my trip. Can we save it for another day?"

"Of course, sweetheart. You rest for as long as you need. We won't tell everybody that you're back until you're ready"

"You can tell them today. There is something I need to talk about with you…well, a couple things. You can't ignore my texts anymore. I want to know who can scare Klaus. He's looking for Elena's necklace"

"Her necklace? Why?" asked her father, confused.

"It belonged to the Original witch, the one who put the hybrid curse on him. He needed it to figure out why he can't make more hybrids. Long story short, his sister Rebekah had it until she lost it at a club and Stefan took it then gave it to Elena. The witch he was using is dead but he'll find another…and he'll realize that Elena is alive"

"Riley, we can't talk about this—person. It's a secret"

"Dad, come on. I deserve to know after I was on the road trip from Hell this summer"

"We swore to keep it a secret. Even if we told you, he's not exactly alive at the moment"

"Fine. Then tell me why Klaus thinks I knew him before he made a meal out of me in France"

There was an awkward tension in the kitchen. Riley had expected either of her parents to deny it or claim that Klaus was putting on an act to gain her trust. Her father admitted that he and her mother used to work for Klaus. When they were sophomores in college, her grandfather on her mother's side had gotten into a bad situation with him and they offered to work for him in exchange for her grandfather's safety. Her parents would help Klaus locate powerful witches, find magical objects, and track Katherine's whereabouts over the years. He found them useful since they were part of the Mystic Falls town council and no one would suspect them of aiding a vampire. Sometimes, he would even visit them at the college. By their senior year, when Riley was about two years old, he considered them part of his inner circle. They were already aware that vampires were very attracted to her blood and used magical herbs to hide her scent from Klaus. Her parents decided to break free from his hold, leading to many arguments between Klaus and them. After a particularly bad fight, where her father threatened to send this hunter after Klaus, they were allowed to stop helping him.

"We never liked working for him. This hunter came to Mystic Falls, looking for Elena. If Klaus knew that he was here, he would be right behind him to see why he came to this little town. We didn't want him to find Elena so we distracted him by telling him that we wanted out" explained her mother.

"Why don't I remember any of this?"

"We asked a witch friend to erase your memories. That was a part of our past that we wanted to forget. We always worried that he would catch your scent and kill you right in front of us. There were a few close calls"

"So all this time, you knew that he attacked me?"

"No. We weren't sure. With all of his siblings, it's hard to keep track of who is alive and who is in one of those coffins. Sweetheart, we did this to protect you. Klaus is not going to take you again. If he so much as touches you, I'll snap his neck repeatedly until his head falls off of his body" said her father.

Her head was reeling from all of this information. She could not imagine her parents working for Klaus. Going up to her room, she found her spell books. She found an old photo album in her closet and sat on her bed. Flipping through the album, she took out a photo of her and her parents in a small apartment. They had lived there until her parents graduated from college. She cast a spell on the photo, attempting to extract some memories. Placing the photo under her pillow, she fell asleep.

~_Riley found herself in the old apartment. Her two year old self was drawing in a notebook while sitting in front of the TV. The spell had allowed her to see one of the repressed memories. There was a knock on the door. Her mother walked over to the door, holding a stack of books. She told her younger self to not make a mess on the carpet. As she opened the door, Riley saw Klaus. Her mother looked surprised. _

_"Klaus"_

_"Hello Alice. I heard that you purchased a new home. I thought I would paid a visit"_

_"It's not much of a home…just a little apartment"_

_"Aren't you going to invite me in?"_

_"O—of course. Come in and I'll get Brendon. Sorry about the mess. I've got a big exam tomorrow morning" _

_Klaus stepped into the apartment. Her mother put the books down on the floor and left the living room. He walked over to her younger self. _

_"How is my little artist today?"_

_ "Hi Mr. Klaus"_

_Riley rolled her eyes when he sat on the couch, placing her on his lap. Even as a little girl, he did this to her. He picked up her drawing._

_"This is a very good cat"_

_"It's an owl" she said, looking upset._

_"Ah, I see that now"_

_She giggled. "I was joking. It's a cat"_

_He smiled. "Very impressive. Perhaps next time, I will bring one of my own drawings" _

_Her younger self stared at the floor, playing with her hair. "I don't think you can come here again"_

_"Why is that?"_

_"I heard my mommy and daddy talking. I don't think they like helping you. Daddy said you were a bad person"_

_"I've heard that quite often throughout my life, Riley. Do you believe that?" _

_"No, I think you're really nice. Maybe my daddy can't see it but I do" she said, hugging him. _

_Riley resisted the urge to vomit. She remembered how Klaus told her that she saw the good in him and could not believe he was basing that on what she said as a two year old. Her parents entered the living room. His demeanor instantly changed. She could tell that he was now suspicious of them. Since her younger self was busy watching a cartoon, she did not hear their entire conversation. _

_"I'd just like you to remember that the only reason Alice's father is still alive is because of your work for me. Is that clear?"_

_"Klaus, she's a child. She misunderstands things" said her father. _

_"I hope that's true" _

_He sniffed the air. "What is that smell? It's very sweet"_

_"I was baking some cookies for Riley"_

_"It's not that"_

_"It's me" said her younger self. _

_As Klaus looked at her, her father shook his head slightly. Her younger self told Klaus that it was her mother's old perfume. _

_"Do I smell nice like her?"_

_"Yes. Remember what I told you two. I expect answers when I return tomorrow morning" _

_He opened the door. Before leaving, he looked back at her younger self, intrigued~_

Riley woke up, breathing heavily. Returning the photo to the album, she laid down on her bed and drifted back to sleep…

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Now that Riley is back in Mystic Falls, she is going to be focused on controlling her magic and testing the limits of her abilities since the incident in the woods scared her. The fact that her parents used to work for Klaus is going to add a different dynamic to the relationship between her and Klaus. He remembers how she was as a very young girl but Riley has grown up so she's not as innocent and naive as in the past. Those witches are not just going to be forgotten in her mind. She is not completely sure that the entire coven in Chicago is dead and she will remember how the leader mentioned that other witches were interested in taking her magic for themselves. There will be some scenes between just her and Bonnie, the only person who understands being a witch. **


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